Hard work, Risk, & Prayer

It is that time of year for beginnings. Risks. Resolutions. Goals. Shaking off the old and taking a big deep breath as you dive into something new.

                                            Happy New Years!!!! -2012-

Now can anyone tell me where December 2011 went? I am so thankful that I was blessed to be painting what seemed to be non-stop, up until Christmas. Thank you to each and everyone of you who showed Lisscat Creations some love in 2011. Whether it was purchasing artwork, reposting tweets/ FB posts, or just shooting us a sweet compliment, please know it was all appreciated! 

It's so crazy to think another year has come and gone. We shared with you the struggles of losing our beloved Bliss last year. I am still amazed when I remember all of the support and love that was received.

I'm sure your 2011 had its share of ups-and-downs too. But is a a new year! A time for a fresh start. It's not like there is something magical in the air that allows us to suddenly become productive and successful upon the new year.... but there is a sense of letting the past be in the past, and allowing ourselves to dream and be prepared to be better in the coming months.

Today I read a great post by the very talented, John Tesh. I posted this to our facebook page. (Click HERE to check it out!) It is about not being afraid to take risks. We can never really grow if we are living in fear. I'm sure this is something we can all relate to. So I know for me personally, and for Lisscat Creations, I want 2012 to be a year about taking risks. It might bring us up, it might bring us down, but in the end it will help us to grow and reach other people.

So I leave you with this - Figure out what it is you want this year. No matter how far away it seems, you can go after it with a lot of hard work, risk, & prayer! (Thanks J. Tesh for this!)

Blessings to you all and Happy New Year!

2-Ply, or not 2-Ply...

To follow up with last week's post....its SCARY to put yourself out there, to take that risk and share your dream with no guarantee that support will follow. But I did it...its been a slow but steady start. With all of your help, we've already raised $41 dollars to help Nashville flood victims! Thanks to everyone who has supported this effort. As news of the flooding starts to fade from the headlines, please know that the clean up effort here is a continuous long term project, and anything we can give back is a huge help right now.

So I feel that in taking that big scary leap last week, God really blessed me! I received an email last week from someone by the name of Ashley. She worked for Quilted Northern and had come across my post about wanting to upgrade my toilet paper. Only a few days later, I recieved a huge box of Quilted Northern toilet paper. And as if heavenly softness of 2-ply was not enough, they threw in a pack of 3-ply toilet paper. I didnt even know they made 3-ply!
A few days later, I get an email stating that I have won a VIP concert package to meet John Tesh. For someone who never wins anything, this was an awesome surprise! John Tesh is not only an amazing musician and radio host, but has been one of the driving forces inspiring me to go after my dreams. If you know anything about this guy, he's all for spreading positivity, and sharing your dreams and talents to help other people. So, looks like pretty soon I'm gonna get a chance to tell him he has been a huge encouragement, and then enjoy an awesome concert, dinner, soundcheck and who knows what else.
You can check out the silly picture that helped me win here..... http://tesh.com/ittrium/visit?path=A1x97x1y1x2264x1x65y1x1ee97x1x65y1x1ee9ax1x83
So then, just so God could be funny, I get another email from the John Tesh team saying I won another contest for free cereal bars, and an IPod Nano!
Maybe some people would pass that off as just luck. But I fully believe this was one of God's creative ways to bless me for taking a risk, and trusting Him with my dreams!

All these little blessings have been nice. They kept me going this week. I pray the cards have found a way to bless the lives of each of you who have received one or purchased one this week. 

So big thanks to Quilted Northern for providing some awesome toilet paper, the John Tesh team for making my week awesome with the 2 contests I won, and last but not least, God, for fulfilling your promise that when we trust you, you will provide everything and more than we could ever want! :-)

As always, thanks for reading and stay blessed!