STRATEGY THREE: YOUR IDENTITY

IDENTITY.

Who am I?

What am I meant to be doing?

What is God's dream for me?

I think about all of this while I'm doing the dishes. I wonder what I'm meant to do outside the four walls of my home. I have big ideas in my head. Dreams of helping women succeed in business, become better mothers, find a deeper relationship with Jesus. I want to make a difference in the lives of children. Reach out to those who need warm meals, new shoes, or a hand to hold after a long day.

Then I go back to washing dishes. I can't possibly be good enough, smart enough, knowledgeable enough, to help other women. My house is a wreck. I am unorganized. I yell at my kids. I can't even manage to take a shower every day.

How can I possibly help someone else?

I don't know the answer to that. I don't think I'm supposed to know the answer to that.

I do know that God wouldn't put all of these ideas inside of me if I wasn't meant to do them. I have to learn how to push aside all of the self doubt, negative talk, and listen to God.

We have to remember that WE DO HAVE VALUE.

I am learning to embrace my every day life. It isn't glamorous. It is loaded with dishes and laundry. It is homework and music lessons. I have to remind myself that these little things I do every day may seem insignificant, but what happens if it doesn't get done?

Every little thing we do is important. Don't let the Devil fool you.

This is why we must do all things with intention and purpose. 

I can't lose myself in the daily grind. I can't forget all of the things I have on my heart.

I have to find a way to keep pushing through. That is my prayer strategy. To pray for guidance. To ask for help in trusting HIS timing. Just because we aren't living out our wildest dreams right now, doesn't mean we won't ever be able to. Don't lose sight of who you are and who you are meant to be.

If you have, start praying now. Ask God what you are meant to be doing. Ask him to show you what his dreams are for you.

Get out your journals and start writing out your prayer strategy. I would start by finding a few verses or making a list of all of things that define who are.

JOIN US IN THE BOOK CLUB TO SHARE YOUR PRAYER STRATEGY!

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DIY Canvas Photo Display

Hi Friends!

Today I wanted to share a post from my old blog 'Literally Inspired'. I made the decision to shut it down because my passion and direction changed. Although the website/blog no longer exists, I did keep all the content (yay). This means I am able to share them with you. Over time I will be re-posting my favorite posts from Literally Inspired.

First up is my most popular post ever! My canvas photo project. I still have them hanging up in my house after all these years. I love them! I hope you will too!

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Last year I innocently wrote a post about a project I had finally gotten around to finishing. Little did I know, a year later it would have gone viral thanks to a little website we all know and love - PINTEREST.

To this day, I get several e-mails a week asking questions about my canvas photos. I thought I would revisit the post and show you a step by step tutorial this time. When I first posted, I was inspired by another bloggers project so I simply directed you back to their site. Unfortunately, they removed the post and therefore left all of you without any step by step guidance.

I hope this post will clear up any and all questions that you may have about the project. It really is very simple and you are left with fabulous results.






| S U P P L I E S |

Canvas (8x10)

Photos (8x10)

Black Acrylic Paint

Mod Podge

Application Brushes

1. Paint the edges of your canvas.

2. Apply an even layer of mod podge

3. Lay photo face up on canvas. Smooth and press firmly removing any bubbles.

4. Once dry, trim edges so that the photo does not hang over the edge of the canvas. I don't know why this happened since I have the same size canvas and photo, but it does.

5. Add a layer of Mod podge to the top of the photo to seal.

So. Easy.

Above is the original display.

1. Do you lay the photo face up or down?

Up

2. Where did you get your pictures printed? Can I print them at home? What type of paper?

I got my pictures printed at Walgreens on photo paper. You can print at home but I suggest only doing this if you have a laser printer. I think the ink jet will be a mess once you use the mod podge.

3. Where did you get your canvas?

I purchased my canvas at Michaels. If you need an online solution check out these blank art canvases on Amazon.

4. What size were your photos?

8x10. You can do any size you want.

5. Why did you trim the edges? Couldn't you do this prior to gluing the photo down?

For some reason my photos were slightly larger than my canvas. Yes, you can size your photos prior to mod podging them onto the canvas.

6. What type of mod podge did you use?

I used the glossy format. You can use the gloss or matte. Either one would work.








I hope this answers a lot of your questions. I never expected to receive so many inquiries about this post. It is truly amazing.