A Typical Day in the Life of Kat from Kat's Creations

Good Friday Morning Everyone!

I love Fridays! Don't you?

For some it is the start of their weekend, just finishing up their work weeks and for others it could be their Monday, but Friday just has something to it, the other days don't. Not quite sure if it's just programming we have incorporated into our lives since we were children, and lived for those Fridays!

I wanted you to get to know me more and wanted to take you along in what a typical day looks like for me. You know those things you do even without thinking about it?

For me, waking up in the morning involves, taking whatever morning meds I'm supposed to, while my 3 cats wait anxiously for their treats. Yes, I indulge them every morning and just before bedtime. So Giles, Bella and Boba wait for me to dispense their goodies. Then I open all my blinds and windows. I hate keeping things closed. I think I got that hatred from my mom, who liked to keep everything closed. Maybe it was because we had no real front facing windows and everything pretty much sat at the back of the house. Yet I want to let the sun in!

I make my bed first, because it makes me feel good to know that my bedroom is nice and presentable every day. My youngest thinks it resembles a hotel room, but I like neatness. As I pass by my bathroom, I have to stop and give Giles water from the bathroom sink. He will be here for awhile. So I leave the light on as a reminder that I have to come back and shut off the water.

Then I head to the garage to get things for emptying the cat boxes. With 4 cats, you have to do it twice a day so just first thing in the morning, then just before bed. After that, I head to the kitchen to grab my coffee which is ready from getting it prepped from the night before. I take my cup and head to the couch where I start my real day with prayer and my daily Bible reading and devotions. This will be my 5th year reading my Bible through from cover to cover, and each year God shares more new things that I need to apply to my life. For me, there is no better way than to begin my day.

From there, I check email, post updates to my blog Reviews From The Heart, with FREE Christian book offers and then begin my daily blog. I will also check and see how my business is doing, from replying to comments, posting on all my social media pages and even answer some comments from my You Tube page.

From there, I finally take a shower and then begin to prepare for my day. If I am doing a LIVE video on  Facebook, I will begin to prep and sort through color choices and decide what I'm going to make and get everything ready and cut.

Steve and I will usually head to lunch or run a couple of errands if needed for the LIVE session if I am needing something to complete that look and it gives us a chance to just be alone. When I get back, I water my outside plants, feed my birds that visit during all times of the day. I love Spring in my garden and I love tending to it.

Around 3pm, I finalize all my LIVE preparations, cut all my material and get all the lights staged and ready to go for our LIVE at 5pm Facebook tutorial.

The tutorial will generally last about an hour and a half, and afterwards I will shoot pictures to update my Etsy store on whatever I have made. Then we clean everything up and put everything away and will head to dinner at our local favorite restaurants like Cracker Barrel or Paulina's Mexican Grill, where we know the owners and we're treated like family there. With just cooking for one of us or the two, we want to get out of the house and just be together. It's also a chance for us to hang out with our family and friends that we get to talk with or bring along with us.

The night ends with feeding the cats their treats, and checking email for the last time, taking our daily meds and for me, reading a couple chapters in whatever book I'm reviewing before we head to bed around 11pm. For me, that is generally the way my days roll and I have to say I am indeed blessed beyond measure.

While I may have some medical struggles to overcome, I know I am not alone in this walk. God is completely by my side and we'll work on things together to get to a place where I can feel better again.

Roadblock Ahead

Today is a day find with a lot of unknowns.

While waiting for a call from my doctor's office about my test results, I told my husband, I didn't think the results would reveal anything and that in their opinion, everything was normal. While crying I began to explain to him that my biggest fear was facing this road of jumping through so many hoops to find someone, (1) who is willing to listen, (2) someone who will work with me to find a solution, (3), someone who will believe I have a serious pain problem and not just looking for the next pain prescription.

Having IC or Interstitial Cystitis, is a nightmare for anyone who has it. You will spend countless hours bouncing from one doctor to another who will automatically diagnose you with a bladder infection or UTI. ALL your tests results will come back normal or no infection found. Yet all the doctors want to do is pass the buck around rather than working WITH the patient to find the answers to what works for them. I don't know why my medication isn't helping any longer. I don't know why I am facing this road ahead of me again. I don't know how long I will have to learn to manage my symptoms until I get the answers I need working with the doctor who really wants to help.

Trust me, I don't want to be on any pain meds, but this pain for those of you that have had UTI's know, can be debilitating until you find pain relief. For now I am on a prescription for the medical equivalent of AZO until I can find someone to see me. Funny how my previous urologist is no longer practicing medicine at the facility near me anymore. Funny in the sense that I have gone through more doctors in 3 years than most people circulate through in their life. Most only stay for about 6 months and then they vanish. No one even is notified they have left the facility until you call for an appointment.

So today, I prayed to God, that He will give me enough to get through each day and He will need to clear the road blocks placed before me. I guess I took for granted all those pain free days for the last couple of years when it seemed like I had somewhat of a normal life, for anyone facing this situation. You can't call it a disease, an illness, so I guess you have to lump it into an incurable diagnosis. Join me in prayer to just make it through each day, one at a time, with what I can self medicate with for now. Lord, please throw open some doors I have yet to see. Help me with Your strength to get through each day, one hour at a time. Help me during this time to not lose my focus and take my eyes off You! Don't let me remain focused on me, but on what You are doing, even though I can't see what's happening and if it is according to You will help me walk through this while I wait for Your healing or more answers to help. In JESUS name, Amen!

Moving Forward

Instruction that is wrapped with encouragement really works. No one cares how much you know until they know just how much you care. I have heard it said that advice and instruction are like snow. The softer they fall—the deeper they stick. Sensitive instruction is encouragement.

I LOVE both encouragement and being the one to encourage. I hate it when I see the benefits of using encouragement to help motivate someone and instead they offer silence or criticism instead. I mean it may get them to do what you want, but they won't be happy doing it. Sure it accomplishes the task but the result isn't a long lasting one.

I have seen evidence of this in play in my own life, working for incredible leaders, co-workers and even fellow employees and I can always say that people will give more than 100% for a person they can respect and value. I know because this is how I felt. I would always be willing to pitch in, help out and go above and beyond for people I respected because of their values, their ethics, their reputation and more. I believe I know what it takes to be a great leader and what doesn't. The best part of being an small business owner is that my customers are not just the ones who buy home decor from me, but they are also in a small Facebook group I lead and encourage every single day. They are also in the people who I haven't met yet. Those are the people I love living for, working for and most importantly who I serve for.

You have to be willing each day to get up, despite how you may feel and choose your attitude. I know this is possible because we can all change our attitude on a dime. Meaning that if you are in a foul mood and someone unexpected shows up at your front door, you can instantly turn on the charm. So don't tell me you can't do it. Choose today if it is going to be a great day or a bad one. You are the only one who can make that determination. Sure things can influence whether things will go towards one or the other, but the final choice is yours. Choose today. Choose right this very minute. Put away all your 'what if's" and 'what abouts,' move forward today in a positive, can do, attitude. Stop being weighed down by everyone else and stop giving them all the control to dictate how you will be.

I hope you choose to make it a great day. It can definitely be filled with the unexpected surprises you didn't see coming your way. Let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear about it. 

Just When You Think You Have Things Handled

Those of you who know me from my many years in blogging know that I have interstitial cystitis or IC for short. It is incurable and remains only treatable at this time. For the past three years it has been almost normal. Besides the horrible side effect of 30 pounds of weight gain, it still beat spending my days and nights laying in bed, either wishing for death, or researching through forums of fellow sufferers what I could be doing differently. For me diet changes didn't work, from going completely all alkaline, to reducing inflammatory foods and beverages, so I opted for taking Elavil which most migraine sufferers are familiar with because it reduces migraines in chronic sufferers.

For me, the last two weeks have been about putting on a face no one sees. Not even my husband. Because you see since it is incurable you have to find ways to adapt. Now it seems as if something else has popped up. The pain is back and while I have some good days, there are often times very bad days like last night. Nights when you spend them trying to find a way to get to be pain free without going to the extremes. This required me to seek medical care to see if I needed to change medication or go through the gauntlet again of trying to find something to help which will be time consuming, exhausting and likely filled with more tears and pain than I care to deal with.

For those of you who don't know what IC is, think of it like a UTI you can never treat. No antibiotics will help and you have to try and find a way back to a sense of a normal life without being confined to bed all medicated up on pain meds. Do you drink more water or less? It is a very horrible nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone. There is no cause and there is no cure. Some days you simply wish you didn't have a bladder.

The only way I have faked my way to being normal is to get my mind so occupied I don't have time to deal with it. My small business has helped. Although I did seem to forget that stress can bring it back and Lord knows I have been dealing with a ton lately, not anything I can control, just trying to be all things to all people that I put myself on the back burner. As moms and wives, we know how to be extremely proficient at that don't we. So for the next day or two, definitely over the weekend, I'm going to try and work with my doctors to find a new balance.

Not sure if it means I fighting an infection which is where my doctor's appointment came into play today or if it mean increasing my medication again. Not sure I like the final option at all. So I pray, its just an infection that with a course of antibiotics will clear this up and I can go back to the way things were. Managing my lifestyle and try to enjoy each day as it comes. For now, all I can do is wait and try taking some meds that may help me feel a bit better but they are not a long term fix. All I know is that God is my hope and I will put all my trust and faith in Him. I will not walk through this journey alone. Thank you for listening and please keep me in your prayers.

Two New Creations

Some people might shy away from doing custom orders, but I truly LOVE working on them. Because each wreath I create is a one of a kind, original, I know that I will never get bored making them, as they are not copies of something I have already done. I am fortunate enough when God blesses me with such opportunities. I have had two requests for something to be hand created based on some clues the customers alludes to.

Some will send me pictures of items they have seen on Pinterest or the Internet, and we'll talk through the likes and dislikes of each along with a budget in mind. I try as hard as I can to give the customer what they want and within a price they can afford. I am also a realist as well, when I can't do what they want either due to supply limitations or cost, and we can usually come to an understanding.

The wreath pictured above was one of my favorites and it has to be all God-inspired. I knew colors, the space where it was going to be displayed as well as a budget of course, and most of my inspiration comes from a sign. In this case, I fell in love with a ribbon before the order even came in, and I knew that God has the design forming even before I knew what it would be. Taking my cue from the picture of the outside of the business, the colors and words the customer used in their order, I wanted to take a wreath back to the glory days of old Hollywood, where class and elegance was everything. The photo above is not edited even though it looks like a simple black and white photo, it is just the colors of the wreath materials. From shades of gray, black and white with just the touch of rose gold, this beauty was created.

I was also able to used similar materials to create one to list in my Etsy store as well with this time, it features a Home Sweet Home sign. Just think of the newly wed couple who will be returning home to make a new start in their life, getting this as a wedding gift, or to the first time home buyer looking for something to create a statement piece to their guests before they ever walk into a home. This are simply perfect for those reasons or for something unique for your own home or decor.

I also completed a wonderful and colorful Mother's Day wreath on my Friday night Facebook LIVE where viewers tuned in to watch me create this button wreath. The sign was from Jane's Front Door Decor and you can join in the fun of watching me create it below.

If you're interested in a custom designed wreath for your home or business or even as gift for a special someone, please contact me at KatsCreations777@gmail.com or visit my Etsy shop to see what I have available now.

Scheduling New Surprises

For those of you that are into crafting and making homemade items, perhaps the best piece of advice I received for helping me keep track of what I should be making is to follow the retail stores. Now I know that might sound crazy especially when it seems like they're getting such early jumps on holidays and it feels as if Christmas will be just around the corner before we know it. But it is the best advice I have gotten to ensure that (1) I am making what needs to be made so I can stock my store in enough time so people can buy it and have it shipped in time to enjoy it. (2) It keeps me ahead of some of the heavy hitters in the wreath making industry that seem to have deep budgets that they can buy in massive quantities.

So with that being said, even though Easter is just a week away, I am moving on with Mother's Day items and even more so with the Patriotic theme, that will be great for most of the summer and into early Fall if you think about it. Since I don't repeat my wreath designs it really challenges me to stay creative. I have to admit I pray about it a lot since I have given my business over to God. On top of that, I am working hard to be successful, but I should pray more before I begin my self imposed work day. Like most creatives, there is a business side to our creative creations. We can't simply create and hope that someone will find them and buy them.

We have to be a shipping and receiving department to ensure you have enough supplies on hand to create custom orders and to make sure that you have enough to begin your next creation. You also have to be customer service and marketing. I have spent most of my work history in Customer Service and I know what I like personally so I want to ensure my customers get the very best service from me from start to finish. I also host DIY tutorials for both a paid and public group so I want to make sure that I am putting all my efforts into making them feel like they are truly getting the best from me as well.

I have also tried to manage my own personal growth by attending online management and marketing classes for women entrepreneurs in order to stay with the growing trends to online business. One doesn't want to be left behind and I want to be one of the ones to watch, not one following in the path of those who have gone before me. So I need to stay creative and innovative. Soon I will be launching my own video business series that will help women entrepreneurs to get started with a little help from me. I only wish those were available for me while I was getting started. I mean they have been but they've been priced out of what a starter business can afford. So while I may seem like the cheapest one out there offering my DIY's at a low cost, I know not everyone can afford $50 a month to follow the bigger entities in the business because they're not there yet making that kind of money to be able to afford that. Trust me, it's a struggle for me to pay for my own as well.

So I can wait to share some of my surprises with both groups for April. I find that setting up a schedule helps both me and those that follow to know what to expect and what exciting things are coming. Until then, I just pray that God continues to open some surprising doors of opportunities for me so that I too, can be a trail blazer in the business world.

Attitude of Gratitude

Back in the days when I was a corporate trainer, I used to LOVE sending out motivational and inspirational messages to my team and those I was training. It was the perfect way I thought to begin the day. Focused on something positive whether it was a motivational line, a story or simply something for them to consider during the course of the day.

I think each morning might bring dread for some people. It might just be all they can get to make it to the end of their day. I believe it certainly can't hurt and most of the time it is just what people need to hear. Too often the enemy tries to rob us of our joy before we can even get out of bed. To get our minds off of the blessings that come from simply being able to breathe, the walk, to even have a bed to sleep in. We're so busy dealing with all of that needs to get done, we miss those blessings that are around us in abundance. We've simply taken them all for granted and all it would take for us to become that much more grateful is to lose any of them.

Talk to the homeless man who has to wonder how he will keep warm tonight as you drive by him on your way home to a warm home, with lights and food to eat. What about the woman who is hanging on to life, why you complain about how you simply can't make it through one more day dealing with your stress at your job? What about the woman who just lost her husband due to cancer, and all you spend your day doing is complaining that your husband won't take out the trash?

Seriously, we have so much to be thankful for but we tend to focus on the negative over the positives in our day. We seriously need a change in our attitude and that's why I am incorporating three things I'm going to ask my private group to list every single day about their lives as well as three things they are going to work on. We need to stop being held back by fears that get the best of us and rob us of the blessings God has in store for us. Fear is a powerful weapon and that is why it is faith's adversary. If you are walking in fear, you aren't placing your faith in God to handle things. Sure I understand we are all human and at times, fear is going to attempt to get in the front seat of our lives, but we need to remember who is driving! First and foremost for me, it needs to be God and I'm a passenger. This is a two seater car and there is no room for the enemy to cause me to question anything.

So with that being said, what are three things you're going to work on today? What three things are you going to be grateful for today?

Prayer, Rain and Encouragement

The one thing I used to love about living in the desert was the most amazing thunderstorms we would get here. They would usually roll in around 3pm and last until about 7pm, sometimes longer. Not sure why that particular memory popped up but it did. I remember sitting on my couch with the sliding window wide open just to watch the darkened skies light up with flashes of lightning and then the boom of the thunder. It was fun to count the time between the lightning and the rumbles of thunder to see just how close or far away the storm was. I loved it when it was further away and hated when it was so close you could barely count to 1 one thousand and then the boom. I hated the ones that were accompanied by that distinctive crack of the thunder and the rumbles that would shake the whole house. I still hate those even today.

I guess that is a lot like the storms in our life. We hate the ones that are right on top of us, but can breathe a sigh of relief almost when they were a bit further away from us. I am asking you to keep a close friend in prayer this morning. Her name is Lyndee and she too lives in the desert. Her storm is happening even as we speak, and yes, she did give me permission to share her request. I won't go into the particulars of what is happening, but enough to say this could and can be a life and death surgical procedure. She went in at 8:00am and it should last about 3 hours. This procedure will definitely improve the quality of her life and thus the reason for my prayer request. Pray that the doctors are delivering a text book procedure and that there are no complications or infections post surgery. I am asking that she is well covered in prayer and protection to keep the enemy far from this warrior for Christ. Thank you in advance for those that will read this and offer your prayers up with mine.

For the last week, we've been hoping and praying for rain. Last night we got a few minutes of rain and are praying that the weather app will be correct and offer up more today and tomorrow. Yet in the midst of the desert that is always a hit and miss lately. Seems as if we are in a bubble of sorts and these promises seem to pass us by. I do get a kick out of it when God does cause it to rain however. I pray it finds us today and God opens the heavens for a bit so we can be clean again. Doesn't rain seem to do just that? It cleanses the earth and the skies from everything that has settled and covered up things.

Friends, I pray that if you happened by this post today, that you can be encouraged. If Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, you have the best possible news locked away in your heart and its time to share some of it with those around us. I mean since God could do everything, couldn't He have found a way for every single person in the world to hear about the salvation offered in Christ? Why did He choose instead to use us? Perhaps its like I can recall that when something good happens in our life, we simply can't wait to share it with everyone else! That's what we need to do, share it and let it be a reflection of what God is doing in our life today!

If you don't know Jesus, I can tell you that it is the greatest feeling in the world to know that when this life is over, it doesn't end for us. That whatever struggle we face today, it is the worst time we will ever have to endure because nothing worse than that will happen once we get into heaven. The struggles here are the worst things we have to face. Sure it can be beyond what we think we can handle, but we don't have to handle it alone. God is ready and waiting for you to invite Him into your life. He doesn't push or barge or even force His way in. He simply waits ready for your invitation. Considering all that is wrong in the world, don't you want to know you are going through it alone? That the Creator of heaven and earth stands by waiting for you to say, Hey God, I want you to take over my life. I've made a mess of things and could certainly use Your guidance instead of mine. Help me to know you Father in a way that makes sense to me. I want you to make me a new person and I want to invite you into my life and make me over. I know You sent Your only Son, Jesus to die for all the things I keep messing up, called sin in my life, and that He didn't stay dead. He rose up and was made alive again, just so that I could live forever when this life is over. Take me Lord, I am all yours! In Jesus Name, AMEN!

Newest Additions

I absolutely LOVE the path I am beginning to see that God has laid before me. Although it is definitely NOT an easy path, there is some blessings to enjoy along the way. I LOVE helping women to be able to see the same dreams. That with some encouragement, they too can find a new future waiting, all they needed was someone to see them and encourage them to take that first step. I got the most wonderful message from one of the lovely ladies that has joined my private group class. She is one of the most beautiful souls that God has graced me with.

She has managed to do what I have been wanting to do for some time and needed that reminder that some people need to hear that encouragement today, and not wait for the time of their obituary to hear how they have impacted their life. It reminded me of a book I read from Walter Green, called This is the Moment! It is an extraordinary book I highly recommend that every single person should read. It really encourages us to use the time we have now, to reach out to people in our life and let them know now, and now at their funeral what impact they have had in our life.

Another book I would also highly recommend is The Noticer by Andy Andrews. It is a book on perspective. While two people are going through the same situation, it shows that they can "see" things very differently. One person can see the negative things happening in every situation, while the other person sees the positive in it. The positive can always be harder to find, but it is always there. If you have never picked up either book, I would highly recommend that you do. I think they will change you forever in the best way possible. The strange thing is that they have always been there but sometimes our perspective just needs to be pushed, nudged or motivated to see things a bit differently!

However, this one woman did just both of those things. She reminded me of the simple impact one person can have in your life and let it be known now and not later when those words will fall on ears that can no longer hear them. She provided consistent and specific feedback and her words were like the sweetest balm on my ears. She nourished my soul in just a handful of minutes it took for her to write those heartfelt words and for me, they were like a breath of life! She is going through her own unique health challenges and if you would, lift her up in prayer. She needs all the prayer and encouragement she can get as we all know how much fear can play a role in any of our lives.

I wanted to show you just a handful of the new items I finished this week and if you're interested in any of them, please let me know by emailing me, commenting below or visiting my shop at Etsy.

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Being a corporate trainer for more than 10 years has led me through many changes both with the customers I worked with, the company I worked for and the employees I had the chance to encourage during my time there. It was one of my favorite jobs in my work history. It also led me through changes, some I was fine with and others that challenged me not to rebel but to move through them so things would settle down again.

Change is like trying to resist the waves. No matter how hard you try, it's still going to happen. You can try as hard as you like, but more than likely, you'll eventually find yourself tossed back to the shore. You're goal in life is to find the positive in that change. Whether it is the lose of a job that brings you to the point of wondering how it will all work out without money coming in, a medical diagnosis that brings you to your knees and to tears, the loss of a close family member, friend or pet, life is going to happen whether you join in or not.

One of the things that people who are close to me, hear me say a lot, when faced with that change is that, 'if nothing changes, nothing changes." I guess I remember hearing a message from Joyce Meyers that conveyed the Israelite's journey in the wilderness for 40 years. Did you know that it was only a 40-day journey to get to where they were eventually going to go? So why the longevity of a journey? Didn't someone ask,"Hey, haven't we been here before?" What was the point of such a long detour?

It's because they weren't willing to accept the changes God had in store for them. Sure they were all ready to give up a live of slavery in Egypt, and embrace that promise of a land filled with milk and honey, but it was because their hearts weren't in the right place. After all they had seen God do during that time of wandering, they still begged to question, "Why God?" Wouldn't life had been better in Egypt where things were comfortable, normal, no change to face. We knew what was expected, even though we hated it, still all they seemed to do is complain.

So that long detour is what we all face when we come across a change we're not ready for. I call them Life Tests from God. If you don't rise up to the challenge and figure out a way through that challenge, God sends you back on another journey round the desert again, until you finally stop your complaining and move through the test. God never leaves you, He is always by your side even when you can't feel it. Just like He never left His people in the desert. They walked away from Him.

So if you are facing an uncertainty in your life right now, I would ask you, how can you get through this with God's help? Have you prayed about it? Where is God in your day? Are you hoping to get through your 'To Do" list to finally set aside some time to pray and maybe read your devotions? Carve out just 15-minutes of your mornings and pray, read your Bible and see if your day doesn't go better. See if your attitude needs its own adjustment and remember what I say, "If nothing changes, NOTHING Changes!"

Miracles and Changes

Welcome to my Friday blog post.

It seems like so many people are on the busy train lately and it's hard to know where to move and what comes next with so many changes on the horizon. Some days it feels as if you can't catch your breath they're coming at you so fast.

I guess the title to this post pretty much states what this post will be about. So many times we pray for miracles and while some may happen, there are those times when it doesn't. I came across a motivational quote that seemed to linger in my mind as I fought some pretty rough fatigue yesterday. The kind that simply wants you to sit around and do nothing. So I figured I had nothing pending, I would take that time to read a book, some of the Christian bloggers and readers have been discussing lately. But first, back to the quote. It simply said, "Faith isn't just believing that God can do it, it is believing He will do it." Now to state it that I do not believe in the "name it and claim it" religious leaders. But it was enough for me to "marinate" on it from the time I read it til the time I went to bed.

It may be wonder on the things I pray for in faith, do I simply just "pray" about it, or do I honestly believe that God will do it. To be honest, I think more of it lies in the first part and not so much in the second part. I know God can do anything, but it does make you wonder, why does He allow someone to face fighting cancer so many times. He can heal them, but why doesn't he? Sometimes that question doesn't even get answered this side of heaven.

I know God has a plan and purpose in everything He does, and I feel like I need to up my prayer game to a whole new level. I need to really sit down during those prayer and talk to God about the things on my heart. Like I would my own father, if I could. Yet I have to remember the power unleashed in those prayerful moments. Heaven has been stirred. There is action I am not even seeing.

Last night I prayed that the sore throat I was dealing with all week would simply go away. I had noticed some white spots on my tonsils and kept watch over the week and yesterday it seemed it had grown bigger and now felt like I had a popcorn kernel stuck in the back of my throat. In fact the more I thought about it, the worse I felt. I dreamed about what might happen with my home based business if I couldn't speak any longer. I figured out, I would find a way to keep going despite what I could or couldn't do. I scheduled the earliest doctor's appointment for today that I could get. I wasn't at all happy about getting up so early feeling so badly and tired the night before.

When I woke up this morning to jump into the shower, I checked my throat to see how much worse it was, and no white spots. Not one. I even asked my hubby to check. All gone. No swelling of my tonsils, no sore throat, nothing. I even checked like 4 more times, because I couldn't believe that they were gone. I remembered last night as I tried to sleep, I did ask God to supernaturally take them away because I was feeling so poorly and the last thing I wanted to do was be sick again and have to cancel my LIVE tutorial tonight. I had errands to run in the morning that would have to be canceled and it would mean I couldn't help out where I could. But God had other plans. Today, I am rejoicing in that moment. I am good to go and managed to go back to sleep after canceling my doctor's appointment and slept far later than I had intended.

Usually the first thing I do before I get out of bed, is to check all my social media apps, for emails and to see what's going on before I get up. I came across a few responses to a book publicity company that is now closing its door and getting out of the book reviewing business. Friends, that is 3 in just 3 months. Is it possible God knew that the lifestyle I had depended on using my free time for, was coming and I needed to be ready for a change? Even six months before it happened?

I believe that is a YES! I was tired of trying to figure out where to go with all the reviews I am asked to do and still get my business up and running and helping other women do the same. I believe firmly it has been His plan all along. It is such a sadness to know this is where book reviewing is headed, and while I will continue to not give up my love of reading, I know God's got bigger plans in store for me and my family in this year ahead of us.

So miracles and changes, both blessings from God! I can't be happier with His path in my life right now. 

Keeping our Faith in our Business

With all the recent lawsuits regarding Christians in the business world, it makes you wonder if keeping your faith out of your business is something you should do. I kinda of frown on that because it then becomes a reflection of who I am in the business world. I have never had to hide my character, morals and integrity when I walked into a business place to work and it will also be evident of those that buy from me, that I keep my faith in the same way. It is who I am.

I had a comment the other day about how can I keep my faith if I am selling wreaths and products that don't line up 100% with my faith. For example providing Easter decor that depicts bunnies and eggs. I think we have to consider what the Bible says and how it was implied to prevent these items from becoming things we worship or replace Jesus with. In fact, we have to remember that Jesus came to save the sinner and not hang out with the religious leaders of the day. He came to save the lost. I have had more opportunities to share my faith now, than when I simply talked about Jesus all day in my blog posts. I have had opportunities to show the reason for my faith, like Paul takes about when people ask about me, what I do and where my faith comes into my business side of things.

Remember God can use us in any capacity to achieve what He has called us to do. I've prayed over my business and committed this to God. It's up to Him to shut it down or allow it to prosper. That's all any of us can do with our days, what we do, say or write, is let God use us as vessels to bring the gospel to people right where they are. In fact, my followers will be the first to share with you how evident my faith is in every aspect of what I do. Now while the symbolism of Easter can be traced back to is Babylonian pagan origins, the point is not to use these as a substitute for what Easter really means, to replace the resurrection with the eggs or bunnies. People are not using these products in some false idol worship and that is the point I am making. While I sell both religious and non religious home decor, God is the one directing people to me and what they decide to sell.

God can use us and our situations in whatever way He wishes to and I believe that I don't have to compromise what I believe in order to do what God has called me to create. I am curious, about what you think about keeping your faith in your workplace and look forward to your comments.

A Little Help From Your Friends

The job I adored and love doing was both managing a service team in Southern California back in the days when there were only 2 cell phone service providers LA Cellular and Air Touch. I had a small group of about 8 people but I loved helping them achieve their own levels of success no matter what that was. I was fiercely protective of them like there were part of my family and even taking that a step further when I was a Corporate Training Specialist for another 5 years, I loved encouraging people to believe in themselves when they didn't.

I loved taking the time to just show them how much I cared about them both as a person and a valued employee. In fact, I keep a book of those emails and letters from those one on one encounters that show me a little about what God has challenged me to keep on doing in my life. To encourage, motivate, and cheer those people on whom God places in my path. I love watching them achieve that next level of success in their life, even if it is just managing to make it into work day after day.

Don't we all need more cheer leaders in our lives today? I'm not talking about the fake ones you tell you what you want to hear just to keep you going, but those that really take the time to listen to your struggles, to get down to where you're at, to value you for simply being in their life as well. Those are the people I'm talking about, the real legitimate ones. The ones that are leading you through life, by being at the head of the line and pulling your forward, not the ones being pulled and barking orders to move faster because they are the boss.

I LOVE working with my small business group, both in the public Facebook forum and the Private Group of about 45 people who want to take that next step with someone who will have their back. Who will motivate and believe in them. Who will take the time to ensure no one gets left behind. I am that person and I get so much joy that it motivates me more each day I can encourage someone or give them the encouragement they need to step out in faith and share what I believe God's called them to do. I believe those are the people who impact us so much, we can never forget them. I can look back and see how God's been building me up to do just that both in my employment history but also in the things I volunteer to do like reviewing books or blogging! From leading a women's group of 40 Somethings through weight loss but even more by becoming their best friend in the process. Those are the relationships I can look back on and see how wonderful God's fingerprints have been along the way.

While I may never personally meet these people, I truly care about each and every one of them. Even though my small group is more intimate and gives me greater insight into how I can help these women, to the larger group of more than 3000 followers. I thank YOU God for the life you've given me and I only hope I can bring honor and glory to YOU, to point others to YOU and to have their courage and faith to take on the world! 

Missed Out

I can't believe that I went all day yesterday and didn't realize that I didn't write my daily blog post for Monday. I guess with the time change, my body is simply telling me that it doesn't like that extra hour earlier, and the days just seem shorter than they used to be. Just another sign that summer is coming and no matter how much I try to hide from the inevitable it is still going to arrive, whether I want it to or not.

Sure, there are those people who LIVE for summer, but when you live in the desert, summers are NOT fun, even though there are those who still LOVE it even when they live in the desert. Call me crazy I guess, but I hate summer. Hate the temperatures, the crowds, and there is only so much you can do to stay cool, but plenty of ways to stay warm. Bring on those icy cold temperatures! Unfortunately if you live in California, you already know that we didn't get a winter. No rain to speak of, and now we face what we know will be a bad summer filled with fires all over the place. Those poor mountain communities that thrive in cooler temperatures will now face even more destruction in those dog days of summer.

Just being a long time resident of California, we already know how it will be. I had hoped that we would have a great winter filled with lots of rain, that would move us passed all those drought filled years, but nope, now it will just be really bad drought and hot fire filled summer.

But onwards and upwards, right? This weekend was filled with lots of busy work, with two Facebook LIVES in my main Kat's Creations page, one in which I showed the group how to make a Rainy Day Wreath (shown above)  and then on Sunday, we took the entire tutorial back to basics because I asked my page, what frustrated them with making a wreath. It was a very long post, but it showed me I could teach making a wreath every Friday and Sunday night, and unless you explain the basics of getting there, you are leaving so many behind. While it may not be my most popular video in light of number of views, it is being well received by those that watch it and have gotten lots of feedback!

In my private paid group, we made a beautiful Easter Wreath, which has sold. I'm seeing a trend in the Easter wreaths, at least for me, that the Vintage look is back. Things like vintage looking rabbits reminiscent of Beautrix Potter and The Velveteen Rabbit. It is also getting down to the wire for those that want their Easter wreaths! Right now, some are taking as long as 7 days to keep the shipping costs down and I want to ensure that those that order them have them in time for Easter! If you want to see what I have, head on over to my Etsy store at Etsy.com/shop/KatsCreations777.

So how is your week going?

Prayer Request

People always pass around the comment, "Will you pray for me?"

Often times we say we will, but why don't we pray for them right when they ask? Are we too embarrassed, too busy or honestly believe by the end of the day we might remember? I wonder if it isn't a ploy by the enemy to keep us so distracted and busy, that opportunities to unleash the power of prayer is wasted by the busyness of this world.

Prayer has so much potential we don't even see, that when we simply stop and do it, it changes everything we may not see happening. Perhaps it is providing for protection for our loved ones on their travels to work or home. Perhaps it is to give them discernment regarding a decision that may not be what God wants in their life. Perhaps it is the reinforcements that are called to action in the spiritual realm that all they need is that one quick prayer to change the outcome in someone's life or offer that miracle we all seek to have.

The Bible is clear that the prayers of the saints, are keeping in a golden bowl in heaven. Not one is wasted. So why mention this unless prayer has a lot more power than we ever hoped to believe it does. Sometimes I believe our prayers are half-hearted, like we simply don't believe anything will change so our hearts lack the faith to believe that prayer will change anything. Perhaps you've been praying for the salvation of someone, a miracle from healing of cancer, or a thousand things I can't even think of, why do you doubt your prayer has any affect? Is it because you don't see those changes you want to happen right now, like praying for that person who has battled back cancer only to have it come back worse than ever? So why bother praying for it?

I know that God will always answer prayer in one of three ways, Yes! No. Or wait. We all hate the word No, from the time we were infants to even now, the word No is not one we want to accept. Yes is always the favored response, but then again God is not our genie in a bottle just waiting around for our wishes to be requested. Wait is even harder than No. At least with No, you can move on, but we all want to know just how long we will have to wait for that Yes or No. Sometimes it's til the end of the day, or for others it may not be until the other side of heaven for us to see, but one thing the Bible tells us is to not give up praying.

My pastor said it best when asked to pray for a dying man. While the family wanted a miracle, our pastor asked if he was saved. Not knowing the absolute answer to that question, he simply asked God for an opportunity to be able to share the gospel with this man before he died. Now that might seem harsh since that isn't what the family asked for, but we have to understand and know this, that nothing that robs us of the physical body transfers over to heaven, if we are saved through our faith in Christ. It stays behind in that physical suit we've been wearing called our body. But it is the condition of our souls that is the most important. Where we will be spending an eternity that matters most!!! So that should always be our first response to pray for the soul, then the body. We want to know when we breathe our last breath here, that our next breath will be in heaven free from everything that held us back on earth, like cancer, a permanent disability, age, you name it.

I'm asking for you to pray for two very important people, women I've never met, but know them through Facebook, and both going through difficult times, I wouldn't wish on anyone. Pray for my dear friend Sharon, who has been given news that her husband is not expected to live through the week. Also pray for my dear friend Lyndee who is to undergo surgery on March 20 for her heart, and that fear that always accompanies the unknown. I also ask for prayer for my dear friend Niki, who is undergoing her fourth battle against cancer and is going through chemo again. I pray that she will not suffer through any of the complications from chemo and that she will be strengthen to win this battle once and for all.

Lord, we pray for these three wonderful women who have been challenged to face their own challenges in this world in very different ways. We pray for them first of all that You would make Yourself very present in their lives right now. I ask for unprecedented favor in both their lives, for strength to get them through the day physical and not give up. I pray for protection against the enemy, that you would surround them with spiritual protection from thoughts that betray Your plans for them, to cast fear, worry and doubt aside. I ask that friends and family be rallied to help them in any physical way to act as Your hands and feet today. I ask for the peace that surpasses all understanding to fill them from the inside out with a warmth, every single time someone joins in agreement to pray for them. Fortify them in your strength and power Lord. Let them know that You love them so much during their difficulties and You stand ready with them through every single step. Let their faith best tested, so that it will be a faith that is trusted Lord and may their worries cease when they call on Your name for help, in Jesus Name, AMEN!!

If you have need of prayer, and would like us to pray for you, please leave a comment below and will be praying for you and your needs.

Our Own Worst Critic

I often wonder when my life here is over, and I stand before God, what He will show me. I think He might show me the "could have been's" if I merely followed a different set of steps in my future. Far too often, I believe we pray for His direction in our day, but then we are the ones who get in our own way of possible success. Perhaps it is that we lack the confidence and faith to believe in the possibilities laid before us. I firmly believe that with my whole heart. Even if we have 100 people tell us that we need to go in the direction we believe God is leading us to, we second guess, judge ourselves and listen to the lies of the enemy that say, "You're not as good as you think you are."

We kill ourselves before we even get going. Even though there is gas in our tanks, we don't even want to grab the keys and jump in the car. But the honest point is that we don't know how close we might be to reaching the other side of the shore, if we simply give up. What is it is one more project to complete, that will start your business in a successful path? What if it is showing up one more day, prepared to tackle whatever lies in front of you, and then the path will open wide up? What if we are merely steps away from reaching that point, God has called us to, but we throw in the towel saying, "I'm done. I can't do this any more. I'm out."

What if it was merely changing how we view our attitude that day? There are so many what ifs, and it makes me curious, why do we tend to listen to the negative what ifs in our head, instead of what could be positive what ifs instead? I wonder if it is just a woman thing more often than it is with a man, because everything that we do and say, is all connected in a way. Everything touches something else in our life. I believe we are our own worst critic and while we pray for God to work in our situation, we are blocking the way. It's time to stop saying it's too late to begin again. To say you're too old to do something. It's time to stop accepting the lies of the enemy and start listening to that still small voice that cheers us on, and encourages us to keep moving forward. Stop quitting and start working harder to find out what God's will is for your life.

If you're unsure, pray for clarity. If you don't have the strength to go on, lean on God. If you will listen to the lies of the enemy, start listening to the whispers of the Spirit. In other words, girl, get out there and be all God has created you to be. Stop standing in the way, get out of the way and watch God work.

Today, I received another email from a big name Christian book publisher that they are closing their review program to everything but eBooks. While I can see their point in keeping costs low, there are so many that can't or don't have access to eBooks. I see this as another confirmation that I am meant to move forward in my path as a small business owner and slowly transition from a book reviewer to the new chapter God is laying before me. Whether I will continue to make wreaths and home decor for the next year or whether God is calling me to teach and encourage others, I will pray for wisdom to know the difference between what God's will is for me in my life, and what I want instead. I need to give it all up to God and walk in the path He has laid before me today.

How can I encourage or pray for you today?

Dealing with Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks!

It seems like everywhere I look, someone is learning how to make wreaths. Is there any wonder that there would be such competition among creatives and women looking to make their home beautiful while at the same time, building a small business or at least making some money doing their 'hobby?'

This is why I am always telling my group that in order to stay competitive in an industry you have to expand your thinking a bit. You can't simply sit back, make a few wreaths and sell them at your local craft fairs. You may make some money but not like you could if you simply rethink who your buyers and sellers are and why there is such a difference in the prices one might pay for a wreath.

Sure you're going to have those that make them for $20-35 dollars all day long, using supplies they find at their local dollar stores, but the quality also shows. When you get into the business of wreath making at almost full time, you can see where they're cutting corners or how much they're really spending and they are selling their wreaths at a loss instead of making any profit. So what can you do to stay competitive in a highly competitive world?

You have to learn new things. I don't mean learn new techniques, but also how to find that buyer who really wants what you have to sell. To create a loyal customer base, to learn the best ways to market your wreath and how to begin to turn more than just a profit. I guess you have to ask yourself, just how much time to you have to invest in bettering yourself and your business. Trust me, some people simply want to sell $100.00 wreaths all day long, but struggle because either (1) they are pricing them way too high for what work or materials they put into them, (2) their picture quality won't sell a buyer to give them more than a casual glance, or (3) they don't care about their customers or their product, they're too excited to make money.

Now while the old saying of "in order to make money, you have to spend money is true" to a degree, you can offer high quality products by simply being savvy, but in also spending money to learn more. I am paying for a private class in teaching me more than simply how to make a wreath, but also different ways to save money, build more things like floral arrangements and garlands. I also take a monthly business class that teaches me how to use social media as a way of marketing to potential customers for free, how to manage my business, from taking great pictures to engaging my customers and viewers by stepping out of your comfort zone. I guess the real question is how much are you willing to invest to make what you're doing successful. You have to be willing to risk something. The question really is, are you ready to do whatever it takes to get you there? 

By the way if you're interested in my wreaths, you can find them at Kat's Creations!

A Very Busy Life

To say that I am busy in any one particular day might be an understatement.

I often lie awake in bed unable to sleep with such a large "To Do" list looming ahead of me for the following day. When Steve is out traveling for work, then all of the daily things needing to be done, fall on my shoulders. It makes me wonder just how much sleep can I skip out on, and still get it all done. I find myself staying up later trying to cram it all in, in hopes that tomorrow might have less things needing to get done in it.

Starting a small home based business can be fun, but it is a lot of hard work. You have to not only make the product, but market it, post about it, and get it sold if you can really say you have a home based business. You have to sell quite a bit to get it from simply being a hobby, to being a business as well. So you have to also become a part time accountant. You need to know if you are really turning a profit or merely trading supplies from one project to the next.

You also have to stay up with the latest trends because business now a days are not run like they used to be. Everything I am discovering is that it is all online driven, so you also have to be your own shipping and receiving as well as Customer Service department as well. I can't wait to be able to hire those who are really good at what they do from handing operating and maintaining a website, obtaining more supplies, production, marketing, oh you can see where this is going on top of spending some time learning about the business trends of a home based business.

Doing it in your mid-50's isn't hard, it just is mastering where your proficiencies are. Good luck with that. Plus there are so many variables you don't consider in doing that. You have to put in an 8-hour day if you hope to make this a full time business. For me, it is keeping it fresh and fun, while still using the talents and time God has given you to keep things interesting. So when I am not running my small business, I am still reviewing books, even though I have cut it back by 200%. No longer reading them every single day, I have scaled it back to 2 per week, but even that can seem difficult as well.

You want to be great at it all, but some days just seem a bit overwhelming. Like yesterday, I had gotten so far behind on my devotions and reading my Bible, that it was going to take some time. It was something I didn't want to stop doing, and found there is blessings when you are obedient to God over your own wants and needs. He can help you to manage your schedule, to help build your business and thankfully use the talents and resources He has provided to help you move forward just a bit day by day.

So remember, if you feel down in the dumps or overwhelmed, grab your Bible, spend some time with God first, and see how much better your day can go. 

God's Blessings!

Sometimes living in your start up small business can feel overwhelming at times. Especially when you go almost an entire week with absolutely NO sales. You begin to question everything. Why are people visiting my store front but no one is buying anything. It's like having people visit your store, just to look around and leave. So you begin to ask yourself, what prompted their initial interest in looking at my store anyway. Was it one particular product or just passing by looking at similar things that came up when searching.

So you second guess maybe your prices are too high and should you run a sale or offer a discount? But then you also trust yourself that you are not trying to price gouge customers either, but you still have to at least get paid for your time right? I mean it is hard not to get discouraged when some people are staying so busy, and you're sitting there listening to crickets. But then I think back on all the great business advice I've gotten that poses the questions, who are you selling to? What kinds of customers do you want? Are you merely trading product for product while making no profit? Does God even want me doing this with my time?

So like I told you before, I go to prayer. Although not as immediately as I should, but I do get there. Its hard when you begin to feel pressured as well, when your husband who supports the idea and the initial financial backing, but sees inventory piling up and nothing going out and you still say you need more things. What is a small business woman entrepreneur to do?

I guess the hard questions I have posed need to be answered. There are always those customers who will want something for free or at least as cheap as they can get it, and don't care if you make a dime or not. The ones that LOVE your quality but don't want to pay to get that quality in their products they buy. So I've started to rethink some of my items so I have both for those types of customers. Those customers who say, make me a wreath and money is no object, those who remain your loyal customers who despite maybe saying a few bucks will stay with you because they like you are and what you sell and your own shop integrity as well. There will still be those who will never be happy and I guess those are the customers I don't want.

I want the customers who understand a quality product doesn't come cheap and also understand I do have to make money otherwise why be in business. So for now, I am remembering all my life experiences that remind me to stand behind my business principles, give the very best customer service I know how and leave the rest to God. If He wants my business to succeed or fail, it is out of my hands either way. So for now I am trusting in Him, and if my inventory is getting a little full, I'll simply pray that he will lead just the right customer to me and let everything else fall into place. When I get out of my own way and let God do His thing, it is a true blessing to behold. And yes, my dry spell did end with selling 5 wreaths in just a couple of days. But more than that, it is a reminder that if I do things God's way and not Kat's, it will always work out in my best interests.

These are just a few of my latest creations to share with you and just to let you know, custom orders aren't any more expensive than others unless you really want the time and effort to create something amazing. If you would like to visit my Etsy store to see my creations, please click on Kat's Creations or you can comment below or email me at Katscreations777@gmail.com

Finding Hope in Turbulent Waters

Seems like there are storms brewing everywhere. From the real life physical storms all around us due to weather, to even those affecting our personal lives, from work life struggles to just finding ways to keep the peace within our own homes. Again for me, prayer will always be and should be our first response so we can unleash the power of heaven. I believe we need that unseen power to begin to move whatever barriers that are going on that are caused by the spiritual realm.

Yet how often do you feel like your struggles go nowhere. Are overwhelming? Like trying to push back the wind or waves? Almost to the point of being pointless? Should we just take a step back, take a deep breath and re-evaluate what is happening? Are we simply too close to see what is going on around us? Maybe we should ask someone else to take a look at things and offer their advice or wisdom.

I find this in my own life, with my own challenges, happening both in my personal life and my business life. As a wife and mom, my own struggles are not just what I face, but at times, we have to shoulder the burdens of our husbands, family members and kids as well. So where we find balance in it all? Or it life simply meant to constantly keep us off balance?

I don't even know if I have any thoughts on it. I know in my personal life, I'm sitting here wishing and praying that I can find a way to help my poor husband who spends so much time traveling and he is just wiped out each weekend and really all he wants to do is catch up on sleep so he has enough energy to handle next weeks work schedule. I can easily look at him and see that he is just beyond overwhelmed. Sure we can try talking about it, but it doesn't really change much. Work is simply placing demands on him that are beyond what one person alone can handle. I know he needs some kind of outlet or it will begin to manifest itself in him physically if he can't process all of what is happening in his own life. Like trying to push back the waves or put out simultaneous fires all around the globe and he can only be effective in a very small area, but work expectations expect him to be effective in all of them.

So if you're reading this, can you add my husband to your prayers? Can you pray for protection around him from the enemy who seems committed to making things in his life difficult? Can you pray that the eyes of those he works with be open to see that he needs help and will commit to making that happen for him? Can you pray for physical strength to fly week after week? I thank you in advance for that and believe that even now, God is already moving in his life, to help and bring about a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Struggling With Finding Answers

Do you ever have someone going through a difficult time and you want to give them just the right answer to whatever they're going through? From a mom struggling with cancer for the 4th time who has to deal with her own health issues but also parent a teen and a working husband, while trying to remain in control. Or what about the husband who feels like he is ready to throw in the towel because the work environment has changed so much that he is being tasked beyond what one man can take? Or how can you grow your own business in a highly competitive market where everyone it seems is selling what you have and for a lot less?

And of course, it's all happening simultaneously!

Yet isn't that life? A struggle of challenges to face, and often times all at the same time.

So how do you hold it all together, where does your help come from?

In any and all of these, it has to first be from God because in an instant He can and has the power to change any of these situations in a flash. So prayer is my first answer. It will also feel like perhaps nothing has changed immediately, even though that is what the flesh wants us to believe. Like praying about that changed anything, right? Well I believe it does. It unleashes something within the throne room of God to set things in place to affect each of these areas. We may not see it right away, but something has changed.

We did the right thing, right away. Now we just need to keep on praying. Just because it seems like nothing has changed, we need to keep praying about it. Perhaps praying for strength to face cancer one more day when you physically want to give up. Perhaps it is praying for wisdom to sort through the challenges of being overwhelmed so you can find clarity in the midst of confusion, or perhaps it is saying,"Hey God, this business is yours and if you mean for me to sell a few things, can you move in the hearts of the person you have in mind to buy this item?"

Everyday you have the power to change things through prayer. Not just a half-hearted, like it's going to change things anyway prayer, but really dig deep into the specifics of what you need. Like an itemized shopping list of specific things, like strength, protection, wisdom, grace, mercy, hope, compassion. Let these be a part of your prayers and believe above all, that while you are not seeing an immediate response to your prayers, things are happening and one day we will see how it all was connected along the way.

But above all it needs to begin with prayer.