Being Refined

re·fined  [ri-fahynd] –adjective

1. having or showing well-bred feeling, taste, etc.: refined people.

2. freed or free from coarseness, vulgarity, etc.: refined taste.

3. freed from impurities: refined sugar.

 

 

I am not sure how many of you know that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).  It is an autoimmune disorder.  My immune systems goes into overdrive and begins attacking my joints.  Today the main discomfort is my jaws. 

 

To be perfectly honest, I have struggled physically but also emotionally, with RA.  It feels like everything that happens in my life is governed by this disorder.  My children catalog memories in "when you could walk" and "since the wheelchair".  It breaks my heart to know I have affected their lives in a negative way.  My time with my kids or my husband is briefed by RA, there is a lot of days I just do not feel well.  Today is one of those. 

 

Psalm 66:10 (NIV) says: "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver."  I have tried to grasp the concept that God is refining me, trying to remove all my impurities and make me stronger.  The process of refining silver, removes the dross and leaves you with pure silver.  The pure silver is stronger and more beautiful.  I pray I am being refined. 

 

Do you have any struggle you are facing?  Are you being refined for a purpose, regardless if you know what that purpose is?  Could God be placing you in the fire to purify you? 

 

 

 

Well it is drawing closer to St. Patrick's Day, time to prepare for the Wearing O' the Green!!  I do not do a ton of decorating around the house for this, but this idea popped into my head and I had to try it.  You crafters know what I mean!!

 

I began with a wreath I already had.  It is a wreath from the Dollar Store.  I also used scrap paper in shades of green, these were left overs from other projects. 

 

 

I looked for a shamrock in my Cricut cartridges.  I found one on the A Child's Year cartridge.

 

 

Next I used the scrap papers and cut out every possible size of shamrock.  I glued them to brown paper and laminated them. 

 

 

After this step comes the arduous task of cutting all the shamrocks out.  Luckily, I had my daughter helping me.  We finished with shamrocks a plenty. 

 

I then wrapped my wreath in a sheer green ribbon.  If you want you can skip this step.  I did not discover until later that you can not possibly see the wrapped wreath. 

I then just hot glued the shamrocks on the wreath in random order.  I began with the larger and went smaller with the shamrocks, but basically just random.  I then took the remainder of the sheer green ribbon, I already had and made a bow for it.   Here is the finished project again. 

When my husband came home he wanted to know if I had been to Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  I guess that is a good compliment huh?  He thought the laminated shamrocks were metal. 

Using things I already had, I did not spend anything on the wreath itself.  But if you totalled past purchases, it still is going to be very minimal out of pocket. 

Have a day full of blessings!

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