Wednesday, January 20, 2010

MOVE OVER HELLO KITTY.......IT'S TIME FOR A HUG














































As many of you Hello Kitty fans know, she is one of the world's most famous stuffed characters and beloved by children and adults everywhere. She is also a form of kawaii. Kawaii is a Japanese adjective that basically translates into today's pop culture as meaning "it's so cute" or "cuter than cute". Well move over Hello Kitty...... there are some new kawaii softies in town. Make way for the Hug E. Bitsies. I created the Hug E. Bitsy Bears late one evening. I wish that I could make hundreds of them to send to comfort all of the children that are suffering in Haiti. I'm sure that all of us can remember hugging a beloved teddy bear as children during times when we needed comforting. So many children have been orphaned by the earthquake and I would imagine that a lot of them are alone, afraid, hungry, thirsty and possibly even injured, with no one to watch over them......but God.


















Aside from the usual financial offerings to the Red Cross and other organizations that will be sending relief to the devastated people of Haiti, there is another way to send them our love and our hugs. This is through PRAYER. In this life, there will be times of pain, suffering, sorrow, natural disasters and other things that appear to be unfair. Why? Jesus warned us about the thief (Satan) that likes to kill, destroy and steal. John 10: 10-11 What does he want to steal? Everything and anything that will harden our hearts or steer us away from learning about God's love for us. Jesus said that he came to bring us abundant life and eternal life through him. He also said that he would be our peace and our comfort in times of trouble. Isaiah 26:3 Even in moments of suffering, we are never separated from God's love and his desire for us to draw closer to him. Romans 8: 35, 36, 37, 38 To those of you who are willing, please join with me in PRAYER for the people of Haiti and for all people who are suffering everywhere for any reason. Prayer is even better than sending them a hug. No matter what tragedy has occured, God still loves them and he desires for them to know him better. To those of you who are reading my blog and YOU would like prayer, please feel free to email me at hugsandkeepsakes@yahoo.com . I would count it as an honor to pray with you or for you. Blessings and big hugs until next time.

Friday, January 1, 2010

....AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!




I must say that I've enjoyed the past few weeks a lot. It has been wonderful spending quality time with the family and making new memories. Speaking of memories.......can you believe it is 2010 already? A decade flashed by in a wink and it is a reminder to all of us of just how precious time is. Each day that God allows us to have breath in our bodies is a blessed day and it holds new opportunities. Let go of any negativity and unforgiveness from the past. Hold on to positive, precious memories that encourage you to move forward and keep your focus. Allow God to guide you into your purpose and your destiny. We may not be able to control the negative forces that attempt to invade any of our days but we are certainly in control of how we respond. Every morning, awaken with the decision that no matter what comes my way, I will allow the joy of the Lord to be my peace and my strength. I wish each and everyone of you blessings AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
JEREMIAH 29:11 ISAIAH 26:3