Just Breathe.

Breathing- a natural phenomenon of taking in air and nourishing our cells which our bodies do it without us even thinking about it... and yet sometimes in this world we live in, with the hustle and bustle, we still forget to just breathe.

We hold our breath when we are nervous, we hold our breath when we are frustrated, we breathe shallow breaths instead of deep nourishing breaths...

Breathing deeply can change your body and your mind. Take a moment, even though it may not seem like there are enough moments in the day, take one, just one and make a conscious effort to stop, now take one long deep breath. Take a moment to look around your world and breathe in gratitude and breathe out thanksgiving.

Gratitude and thanksgiving will change your heart, change your mind and ultimately change your world. I know this to be true. I am living proof that gratitude can change everything.  I make a decision daily, a conscious -albeit sometimes difficult- effort, every-single-day, to look around me and be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?
Share the love in the comments below...
M.

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Trust.

What is your heart's desire today?
Mine is...

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour
-Hillsong United Lyrics

Share the love,
M.

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Live Your Life On Purpose!

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Africa Update! We are so excited to tell you that we have been accepted to go and work in the orphanage. It has been a long journey of back and forth, lots of conversations, applications, letters of reference, etc. But since August 2014 we have been living our life on purpose.   (If you'd like to read about the beginnings of our journey, click this link: Living Live On Purpose AFRICA 2015 )

Financial Update: Oh!!! I am so excited to tell you that we are halfway to our financial goal. Thank you to all who have given, those who have ordered family portraits,  those who have told me they believe in what we are doing and have just given towards our journey, those who have clicked the donation button to the right and gave, those who have bought from Etsy. Thank you, We are so honoured.

Everything little thing counts and we are so honoured. I will continue to create in order to raise funds, please keep checking into the Etsy Shop ~ Everything purchased on my Etsy shop-Affectionately known as LostBumblebee Ink., any special requests I do,  and all funds from my art are going directly to this journey! 

Side Note: I just about bought our tickets last night- I am only slightly worried that a 2 hour layover in Brussels isn't quite enough time, but it is the same airline, so I'm hoping that it is, because we are looking for the least expensive prices so that we can leave as much financial blessing at the orphanage as possible for these children. (anyone been to the Brussel's Airport? how big is it? is the Lufthansa pavilion HUGE??) 

I wanted to create this little reminder for you to- Live Your Life On Purpose. It changes your perspective. Our hearts are so full, our gratitude is at its highest, we are working so hard towards something that is outside of ourselves and way outside of our comfort zone. Even with being so far outside of our comfort zone, I have never felt more peace, knowing that all of the work we are doing is going to impact a these little lives. 

Remember to live your life on purpose... choose something outside of yourself to focus on. Trust me, your thighs won't seem nearly as wiggly or dimply, the size of your butt won't take up so much space in your head, you know those crows feet happening around your eyes, well if you look outside of yourself, you will smile more, and your wrinkles (which are inevitable) will all end up in the right place and you will be gorgeous.  Look outside of yourself towards things much bigger than our own insecurities, go beyond thinking about you- trust me, it does the heart good.

It may not mean Africa for you, it could be the local food bank, it could be reading stories to sick kids at the hospital, it could be buying the homeless guy you see everyday a nice hot coffee, it could be smiling at your fellow human, making eye contact, it could be shovelling your neighbours walkway, it could be taking the time to stop in and visit your Nan at the seniors home and paint her nails... sometimes the simplest acts of kindness can change your world.

Live your Life on Purpose
and Share the love,
M.

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In a sea of people...

In a sea of people there is that one person.
Who is your person?
Tell them.

Share the love,
M.

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Follow Your Own Arrow.

Sometimes we get caught up in comparing our lives to others. Peeking in and seeing what they have and desiring it. Trying to mimic, copy and be like them (I am guilty of this more than I'd like to admit).

This causes us not to see the beautiful human that we were created to be...  instead of desiring to be like others, just be you, be uniquely you.  In the wise words of Oscar Wilde;

'Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.'

Of course, learn and be inspired by others, but be true to you. In the world we live in, it is easier said than done. So follow your own arrow... point it to your true north, and follow it.

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee Jornal Cards ON ETSY 

If you like this print, you will love the collection of 3x4 journal cards I've created. Check them out on my
Etsy Shop.

(all proceeds go to raise funds for our LIVING LIFE ON PURPOSE 2015 Journey, which is quickly approaching!)

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Hope.

After reading yesterday's blog post to my mom, she got all excited and said;
"Miss, you know what hope is right?"

I thought for a moment, and we both started to recite the beautiful Poem by Emily Dickinson...

Hope is the thing with feathers-
that perches in the soul-
It sings the tune without the words-
And never stops- at all-

This print was born out of that conversation with my mom,
Hope is the thing with feathers...

I used to recite this to myself when I was feeling hopeless about babies... somewhere inside of me, I always said, "but God, I still believe... " ( and honestly after 4 rounds of (ICSI) IVF  you would think you would lose hope) ... and it's true,  my mind did, but my heart and soul still have hope... because hope it's that crazy thing that sits in the soul and believes even when your mind can't... 

If you are going through something that requires hope, belief and trust, learn this verse... recite it to yourself... and allow it to sing the tune without the words- and never stop ... at all.

Share the love,
M.

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Love.

Yup that day is coming up where everyone tries to prove to everyone else that they love them... ( I am only slightly teasing) and I love, love. So It is a great day- like I've said before in our house, it goes down slightly differently than in some others.

But What exactly is love? What does it mean? What did it mean when we say for better or worse?

This week has me contemplating that, because on a small scale I am pretty helpless this week. I fell, I sprained my left ankle and busted up my right knee- seriously, had they been on the same leg, I do believe life would have been different, but alas they were not). So I have been confined to my chair, with everything I need to work, and not starve to death, within reach (thanks to my Hubby).

It is such a tiny thing, but to me it is huge.  My Husband has taken care of me. It's a weird feeling to have to be helped in everything you do. It's a scary feeling of what the future might look like as we get older... and It's really hard for me to admit I need help. 

When I think about it... Love, this Love thing, this real love thing- What does it actually mean?

It can't be put any better than how Paul said it in the book of Corinthians:

Love Bears all things -everything, the heavy, the light, there nothing too big or too small that real love cannot bear.

Love Believes all things -everything, for miracles too, believes with me, it believes for me, even when I cannot, love still does.

Love Hopes all things -now what exactly is hope... oh this is good... it is wishing for, expecting, desiring something... Biblically speaking, hope is a desire based on a promise from God (source)... Oh How I love the promises of God!

And my favourite...

Love Endures all things - handles them sometime with grace, sometimes with less grace... makes it through, grits its teeth, hunkers down, get's it done.

We like to see love as something that is fluffy and light and happy (and sometimes wrapped up with fat cherubs shooting arrows + hearts), but Love is strong, and it is hard, and it is heavy, and it is powerful, and it has more grit and more intensity than a raging ocean...  


I hope you have love in your life...
be it the Love of a parent, the love of a friend, the love of a husband or wife, the love of a child...
I pray you are blessed with love,

M.

This doesn't just apply externally, you have to love yourself as well... put the thoughts you have of yourself through that filter and see how is compares...  Share the love. M.

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& I'm a Dang Good Cook.

Print off both Prints and create a collection!

After yesterday's cute print, someone asked if I could add this little ditty to the list. Of course! It makes so much sense!

I Kiss Better Than I Cook.
& I'm A Dang Good Cook!

Here you have it, a cute duo-
Enjoy, hopefully it will make you smile every time you see them hanging in your kitchen :)

Share the love,
M.

(Mix and Match colours, or choose matching ones, 2 versions, 2 colours, all 8x10s)

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..better than I cook.

Ha! I love this! I had a request to create this quote, to go along with my Bitch'n Kitch'n Collection. How much fun is this?

I kiss better than I cook...
(& I'm a Dang Good Cook) 

So here you have it in 2 slightly different versions, in a font created by me (I'm adding the finishing touches and it will be available on Etsy),  2 colours to choose from, and all 8x10s.

Wouldn't this make a sweet Valentine's Day gift... have it printed, frame it, give it... Easy Peasy. 

Share the love,
M.

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Sense of Wonder.

Someone reminded me recently that it isn't about the big things, it's about the little things. The sunrise, the sunset, the clouds, the colour, the changing of the sky... it's the little things that happen daily that we just ignore, move past, and don't pay any attention too...

When was the last time you saw a sunset and gave thanks? Thanks that Someone out there (much bigger than you and I)  was thinking about you and painted it just for you... The sky is a daily masterpiece that I miss often... the clouds are works of art, that I don't even see...

Help me to not lose my sense of wonder, gratitude and moments that you send my way God. Help me to be childlike in your beauty.

Share the love,
M.

ooooops, I had your, your... so here is the NEW version :)

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Find Joy In the Journey

Sometimes this is easier said than done, ok, this is always easier said than done... lately I have been having a bit of a hard time on Instagram. Seriously, everyone I follow is all of a sudden adding either adoption photos, baby bump photos, or new baby photos. I love it and I hate it.  It's exciting because babies are always a miracle, and it's sad, because I'd like to have my miracle. So I find myself wallowing a little, looking for joy in the journey. Our journey is very different than some of yours, and very similar to some of yours... So how do I find joy in the journey?

Well... I refocus, and then refocus again, and then refocus again...

Here is an update on what is keeping me focused outward:

• The orphanage that we were hoping to go to has officially asked up when we'd like to come. We are working with them to find a time that will work for both parties.  Four weeks is a long time, and yet, it doesn't seem long enough.

• We are working on raising funds to help us be able to go and volunteer with these children for that time.

• I am so busy with graphic work, and art, that I feel overwhelmed, but then I refocus, this is the stuff that is allowing us to go on our Living Life On Purpose 2015 Journey. 

So I guess I'm choosing to find joy in the journey. This is such a weird place to be stuck in, in life. If I could say one thing about this fertility journey, it would be:

...look outside of yourself, don't focus inward, focus upward... focusing on the one thing we don't have is debilitating. Focusing on the Joy in the journey is refreshing, and life giving and life changing. 

How are you finding Joy in your journey?

Share the love,
M.

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