Thrifty Love {link party #30}

It's Thrifty Love time!

I have a couple of things to share with you today. My husbands grandma gave me these lovely laces!

I love the colors and the size and sooooo want to make something with them. Any ideas? They are large 4 inch width. The cool thing about grandma Susie is she volunteered at a thrift shop when she lived in another town and would pick up neat stuff all the time. Grandma also gave me the BUTTONS!

At a visit to a thrift shop I picked up this neat rack. Brand new in the box for only $2.95

This is perfect for me cause I ALWAYS struggle with getting the paper I need out of my cabinet. I had it all in one stack so of course the one at the bottom it was tough to get out.  Copy paper, cardstock, envelopes, shipping labels, check! It's all there and the rack is a perfect fit for my cabinet! I love finding a great deal on a product I could really use!

Okay now for some features from last week!

Sweetpea's GoodJunks shares this great Pachinko machine.

Tatter and Fray found these great P glasses which I

really like since my last name starts with a p.

Bliss & Vinegar has a lovely mix of goodies.

Linking up at:

S- Fleamarket Finds  M- Apron Thrift Girl  Tu-  Coastal Charm, Frugal Treasures Tuesday T- Vintage Thingie Thursday, Treasure Hunt Thursday, Blue Eyed Owl, The Haps F- The Thrifty Groove, Vintage Inspiration Friday S- Penny Worthy Project

{What Do I Know of Holy}: Jesus Came to Abolish Religion

Thank you for joining us for the final post in our I HATE RELIGION series. Go here to read the previous posts in the series.

Have you ever been to a church service and felt like you were simply going through the motions?

Maybe you felt out of place. Maybe it was simply a bunch of rituals done over and over again. Maybe you sang the words without really knowing what you were singing. Maybe you repeated the prayers from memory but made no connection to the pleas coming from your lips.

Whatever the case, you were going through the motions of religion - a meaningless experience associated with an institutionalized system of worship.

I think it's pretty safe to say that we have probably all been there at one point in our lives. Can I get an amen?

But did you know...

Jesus came to abolish religion.

Say what?!

On the contrary, Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us. He is not interested in our half-hearted rituals.

You see...

Religion never gets to the core; it's just behavior modification like a long list of chores.

Yes, God could have created us like little robots - always doing what He wanted us to do, the same thing over and over again, with no minds of our own.

Can you imagine having kids that were that way?

On the one hand, I would love for Little A and Little E to do exactly what they are supposed to do at all times without me having to ask...or repeat myself 4000x! But really, what fun would that be? And would I really want them to love me with a robotic love - forced, automatic, insincere.

Absolutely not. I will trade a little chaos every now and then to hear my boys whisper with sincere hearts, "I love you Mommy." Not because someone told them they had to, but because they truly do.

Love is simply not love...without a choice.

But God knew that we would never be good enough on our own. Our sin could never coexist with His holiness.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. {Romans 5:6-8}

Wow. While we were still sinners.

Quit trying to "get it all together," my friend. Come to Jesus and He will purify you. He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He will make you new.

Religion is Man searching for God. Christianity is God searching for Man. Which is why salvation is freely yours and forgiveness is your own, not based on your merits but Jesus' alone.

What are you waiting for?

Feel free to email me at worthyoftheprize.erin@yahoo.com if you want to discuss further what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Before you go, be sure to watch this incredible video one more time and share it with your friends. 

Hope to see you next week as we begin our new summer series!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

tiny succulents

Here is a most adorable little plant that will go almost anywhere.

Simply drill a hole in the center of each cork being careful not to go through the sides or bottom.

Next, on the cork place a single initial or small word (mom). On the above I used the citra solv transfer method (you can google that) which I did not really care for as the letters were to light for my liking. On the "C" below I used a rubber stamp (picked up in the dollar bins) and StazOn ink pad so it won't run.

On the opposite side of the initial glue (E6000 is the BEST!) a small magnet.

Add a tiny bit of soil, and a tiny succulent. Add bit more soil on the top of your succulent then some moss. I soaked my moss in water for a few minutes to make it more manageable. Just poke the moss right in where you want it with a tooth pick.

Now water and it's done! A tiny bit of water every 10-14 days will do. Use a dropper or a gentle squirt from a spray bottle to water. It's tiny! 

 Here they are on my lovely little thrift tray.

I actually have my "C" on the fridge and I love looking at it each time I go in the kitchen. The others were for my mom and sisters in law for Mother's Day. I think they would make super wedding favors or teacher gifts. How about you? What would you do with them?

The blank corks are from Inventive Gears on etsy.

Thrifty Love {link party #29}

It's Thrifty Love time! One of my favorite things about thrift shopping is the opportunity to redo or upcycle things. Something that the someone before you was just done with and instead of going into our landfills they donated to a thrift shop. Donated so I can snatch up!

Take this wire basket for example. (I love those little ball feet!) When I picked this up I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

Not bad eh? I think it's pretty great! I thought about painting it but didn't want to deal with peeling paint down the road. I do think a pretty color would really make the detail in the wire pop. This ended up being a Mother's Day gift for grandma from my boys. So what thrifty items have you redone or upcycled lately? 

Sorry I have no features this week as I have limited internet access for a couple of days. Had to pop in and get the thrifty love link party posted though!

{What Do I Know of Holy}: Is Jesus Welcome at Your Church?

Thank you for joining us today as we continue our I HATE RELIGION discussion, which is based on this incredible video.

Let me clarify. I love the church. I love the Bible. And yes, I believe in sin. But if Jesus came to your church, would they actually let Him in?

Have you noticed how much time we spend judging others? Does it bother you too?

I believe that most people tear others down to make themselves feel better. The only way that they can move up the ladder is to push others down it.

And one of the worst ways we moms do this is by criticizing other moms. Ugh.

Like we need anything else against us. Being a mom is hard enough as it is.

And yet we take part in The Mommy Wars.

You know the game - to home school or not to home school? to work outside of the home or to stay at home with the children?

The list goes on and the blows get bigger. Instead of being confident in our choices and in who we are in Christ, we let our insecurities bash other people's choices to confirm our own.

Who says there is only one right way?

Please take a moment to read The Only Mommy War Worth Waging.

If grace is water, then the church should be an ocean.

Jesus did not take part in the games. He hung out with tax collectors, thieves, lepers, those rejected by society. 

He preached a message of hope, one in direct conflict to what the religious leaders of the day were claiming...that you had to be "good" enough.

But how "good" is good enough?

It's no wonder they hated Him. He was making them and their self-righteousness look bad.

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. {Matthew 20:28}

Would He be welcomed at your church?

Go here to read the previous posts in the I HATE RELIGION series.

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

May's "Chosen" Family

Every month we support a new adopting family by donating $10 from every Chosen necklace sold. Worthy of the Prize also donates the entire proceeds from the sales of their Chosen Child Fit Band and Half Loop.

Each family has an entire month to earn, this money is then donated to their adoption agency. For the month of May we have the Dyer Family. There is just over one week left in their month so I thought I'd post this little reminder. If you purchase of one of these products you are also helping a child get a family!

The Dyer Family

(Our names are Matt, Amber, and Brock Dyer. Matt and I have been married for 9 years this summer. Our son is seven years old and looking forward to officially calling himself a 2nd grader in a few weeks. Even more, he can’t wait for the title of “Big Brother”. We were selected on March 30th by an expecting mother who is due at the end of this month in a neighboring state. After seven years we don’t really have any baby stuff left around the house and are on a mad dash to prepare for the arrival of our newest blessing. After two surgeries, a hysterectomy, two failed rounds of IVF with a surrogate, and a broken heart we are so happy to be building an open adoption relationship. While my husband was attending the police academy last summer, several things fell into place for us and we were accepted into our agency. We feel very strongly that this is the road we have been lead to after all of these years. Things have moved very quickly since then and it’s been a roller coaster of emotions! I’m nervous, excited, scared, and about everything in between. On behalf of the three (soon to be four) of us, we thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity.)

You can learn more about this adopting fundraiser at Worthy of the Prize. If you are interested in fundraising with us contact Julie for more info at  worthyoftheprize.julie@yahoo.com.

Thrifty Love {link party #28}

Welcome to Thrifty Love! It's that time again where we link up some of the great things found at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales and so on. Be sure to grab a button if you like and share our party with your thrifty lovin friends!

 

Here were some from last week that caught my eye.

The Pickin Pair joins us for the first time this week with these old rusted date stampers.

I'm kind of in love! They've got lots of other old rusty goodies too.

Land of EnCRAFTment come in with this set of 4 mugs. Pretty cool I think!

Thoroughly Modern Me shows us this great tin child sink.

Is it small? Is it for a doll? Either way it's lovely!

Show us whatcha got!

{What Do I Know of Holy}: Romans 15:13 Printable

I missed last week because it was the day that the moving truck showed up to our new house and I was running crazy between getting things unloaded, doctor's appointments and church.

Today it is my birthday and on top of that, my mom is here helping us get stuff unpacked and settled in.

I did want to pop in for a second to share this free printable that my friend Mary Jo designed for our weekly {Hope for the Home} series, that takes place every Monday over at my blog.

It is one of my favorite verses of scripture and it is my birthday wish for you.

If you'd like to download this verse to print it for your own home, simply right-click on the picture and save it to your computer.  Then print it from your home printer or send it to your favorite photo processing shop!

Have a wonderful week filled with joy and peace, whatever you encounter!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She has been a recreation intern at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas and the recreation ministry coordinator at Anderson Mill Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.