Merry Christmas'ing!!

Helllooo and Merrry Christmas'ing everyone!

 

I have to say, this has been the most eventful Christmas season for me ever!!  I was creating and putting gifts together up to each day of each gatherings!!  I have so many B-days in December as well so we were busy...but in a good way!

 

 

 Last Tuesday, 12/18/12, we had our Christmas Party with our Confirmation Class that we teach and I made about 36 Prayer Cards featuring my Mary artwork above and my niece Selena helped me make these little tent Christmas cards too.  All this work was worth all their smiles upon recieving them!

 

Then the next day, 12/19/12, I had a little Birthday dinner for my husband Art...we made Posole for the 1st time and it came out delicioso!!  Then on Saturday, 12/22/12, we went to my family's "December Birthday's Party" since we have like 6 B-days from the 6th to the 23rd we started a this tradition.  It was so fun and I got to see my cousins that we grew up spending Christmas with but don't get to anymore.  Then on Sunday, 12/23/12, was my niece Selena's 14th B-day Dinner!

 

Then of course, I was still getting all my gifts put together from that evening until the early dawn of Christmas Eve!  As I was doing so, I realized that I didn't really have anything for my 6 nephews...how could I forget them?  So at 4:45 am I went to our local 'Super Walmart' and at 6 am exactly as I am finally done and getting to get my things checked out...really...I couldn't believe this...but yes, really this did happen...

 

A MAD MAN comes into the store yelling for the manager...at first I just thought he was an upset customer until he comes up to the Cashier who was about to ring me up yelling at her to tell him where the manager was and as this happens is when I notice the big GUN he happens to be holding!!!  Now I'm not a gun expert, but my husband knows more than me and due to the barrel I described to him...he said it was an automatic rifle...whatever gun it was...really doesn't matter to me...what mattered to me was that he came in to the store with a gun!!!

 

So at first I was like thinking in my head...no way can that gun be real, could it be?  It was so big he was holding it with both hands!!  He walked away quickly in the direction the Cashier pointed to and I was so stunned and my heart was beating so fast, my hands were trembling and I felt that 'falling' feeling...I felt so panicked and did the only thing I knew to do and that was pray...I prayed for the Lord to send his Holy Guardian Angls to protect us and for him not to shoot or kill anyone!  Then who knows how much time passed...most likely seconds after they noticed him walk towards the back of the store, we were rushed out of the store into the falling rain...so then I ran so fast to my truck and drove away from the store...it wasn't until I got home that I realized that I just could've been killed or shot as I was in his direct range of fire...thank God, he didn't shoot anyone and the wierd thing is that they still haven't found him.

 

I was so happy to spend time with my family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...I especially made sure to thank the Lord for being able to enjoy Christmas with him at Church!  This morning I finally felt clear headed enough since I have no more 'gift' projects looming in my mind and the shock from what happened Christmas Eve morning has worn off too...which made me realize just how much the Lord really loves me, how much he blesses me every day...and I know that he's definately not finished blessing me.  I can feel it...there's many more to come and I can't wait!

Keep the Hope of Christmas...

In the midst of getting ready for a wonderful Christmas Season all of us in our Nation experienced what I could only describe as an act of evil.  I am a very sensitive soul...so when I found out about the horrendous massacre of innocent children and the adults trying to protect them last Friday, I was so saddened...I couldn't even be happy for too long about the little miracles happening around us in regards to our process of getting qualified to foster/adopt two very special children.  I can't imagine what those poor families are enduring right now...I am keeping them all in my prayers and hope that through all this they can find the peace that they need.

I know the Lord embraced them all immediately...this tragedy reminds me of how important it is for me to continue what I am doing...all the different forms of ministry he has assigned to me...in my assignment as a Wife, Daughter, Sister, Godmother, Aunt,  Teacher, and Artist...part of my responsibility is to keep creating things of Love, Happiness, and Beauty...to encourage, to inspire, to remind others of God's Love, to teach others about Faith, to show by example.

I intend to keep the Hope of Christmas, Jesus, close to my heart...to keep my hope in HIM...he's the only hope for the world...with that I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas...cherish all your loved ones, for we know not how much time we have with them...as I tell all my students in our Confirmation/Bible Study Class "Don't worry about the 'End Times' worry about your own end time because we don't know whether we have 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 years, or even 50 years left...be ready for our own end time, the time to be ready is now!' ~Gina Arzaga 



 

Holding Onto Hope & Keeping The Faith

How could I NOT post today?  I just had to...it's such a significant date!  *12/12/12*
Besides, I am so excited about all the new Artful Goodies I've been adding to my Etsy shop and after yesterdays looong and reflective post I thought I'd do a new post to feature what I've been up to creatively of course.  So my newest art print that I just uploaded to my Etsy shop is the one I've got on my blog topper...'Blessed Mother Mary ~ Holding Onto Hope"...which I love soo much that I can't bear to let go of it...this usually happens with my 'firsts'.  I am planning on creating more art like this too...but for now I'm gonna be busy making the following goodies with this image:  *Ornaments  *Christmas Cards  *Bookmarkers  * Pendants  *Altered Dominoes and who knows what else!

If you'd like to order this and any of my other goodies in my etsy shop...just click on the photo above and the link will take you there! :)

I've also been working on creating 'Mini Art Blocks' and 'Mini Art Jewels' all featuring my artworks!  Here's a pic of some custom orders and some more 'Mini Art Jewels' that I'm workin on:

 

I also have some original art that I'm hoping to get finished up this week...I've sketched some cute 'Christmas/Winter' themed art like:  A cute little girl with a snow angel, Baby Bea's 1st Christmas, and more!  Well as you can see...I'm gonna be very busy...I soo feel like a Christmas Elf!!  I'm feeling inspired...and that's when I need to 'go with the flow'!  I'll be posting pictures on my FB 'Like' page as I list on my Etsy shop...click on the photo below to get the link to my FB 'Like' page to see what I'm up to more often than I post here! ;)

 

 

I hope that this Christmas season bring you much joy and if it isn't...sometime it's because we need to slow down and reflect what Christmas is really about...that after all is what Advent is about!  So Here's to holding onto Hope and keeping the Faith!  God bless you all!  Cre8tvlyYrs~Gina

 

 

On The Edge...Riding Down The Roller Coasters Of Life

How or where do I even begin to post anything right now...my life feels like it's on the edge of many of my BIG dreams...it's a scary place to be...I am also in a state that I could only describe as truly going on BLIND FAITH...continuing in a direction without having a clue of how it will all end up but continuing all the same because I BELIEVE that no matter what the outcome...whether it pains me deeply or brings me much joy...it will be the best thing for me because I trust God and know that HE knows what's best for me.  I'm not going to lie and say that it's an easy place to be...in reality it's pretty much the hardest place I've ever been.  It's a place where you have NO choice but to truly let go...at first you think it's easy and will continue to be...but when weeks go by without a word and you know you need to stay out of it...it gets very difficult.

Then recently, I've been feeling nudges of doing something about the situations I'm dealing with...like I'm being prepped for something BIG!!  What's completely amazing about this is that it isn't only about one thing in my life but almost everything in my life...I feel it's only fair to let you in on what I'm dealing with - of course not in full detail but only in a summary version:

*My husband and I have no children of our own and felt ready to become Foster Care Certified for years but earlier this Spring (April) I was asked by my cousin if I would please help her by fostering her Granddaughter...I said yes of course and since then my husband and I have been working very hard to become certified (and it was a lot of work and it included me giving up my art room, but we didn't mind at all).  In July we thought we were approved but then found out that we needed to be qualified through a county agency and needed to start all over again...again we didn't mind.  We were looking forward to welcoming not only a little girl but also her older brother into our lives by Halloween...then no, maybe Thanksgiving...but then the strangest thing happened...I can't say exactly what happened but only that in one conversation...I have been misjudged...and now not only are we definately not going to be able to have the children here for Christmas...but we may not get them at all...this event occured about 3 weeks ago and since then we have not heard from anyone...until recently finally I spoke with my 2nd cousin today and he let me know that he knows that I have done everything I could do and that he thinks we should be silent no more...that we need to let those in charge know that we will not let go without a fight (not literally of course).  His words were very liberating for me and I feel like I am preparing for whatever action I feel led to do next, as I dare not do anything yet without my Lord's leading and guiding me to what it is I need to do.

*The other issue is about my artwork...I know there is something more I am to do with my art and I feel the Lord whispering to me 'are you ready?' or 'you better be prepared' but the most exciting whisper is when I hear him telling me to just 'let go'...that 'it's time to fly'...this speaks to me in all areas of my life...Spiritually, Musically, and Artistically...

*Also for me Spiritually...personally...it's like I've been stuck in a cocoon state for so long...so long that I've let myself dwell in it...like I've made it into a pretty and cozy little home inside...like I've fooled myself into not venturing out because...well it's nice enough here...but sometimes it could feel a little lonely...don't get me wrong, I have my husband and my mom who are my best friends as well as my other family & friends who I adore with all my heart...but what I've been craving lately is to be around others who like to be creative like me...friends that we can inspire each other...I am feeling like I need to break down this cocoon for good so that I could venture out...into the garden of life!!

So as you can see...I have all these different angles of my life aiming in the same direction...like everything is about to catapult in the same direction at the same time...oh how I am filled with anticipation like when your on a roller coaster and you feel the butterflies and your at the top closing your eyes...on the verge of riding down the Collasus!  In fact, recently I watched this awesome video by Marie Forleo, in which she teaches about riding your fear...here's the link that I highly recommend:   http://youtu.be/9Sm-DWZw64s So here's to riding those big rollercoasters in our life!!