Hi Friends!

Welcome back to Sunday Night Inspiration! If this is your first time joining us, I welcome you to join me each week for an evening read filled with encouragement and inspiration to get your week started off right!

 

I began this series a couple of months back after feeling led to do so and each week it is SO refreshing to get feedback from all of you that you've been encouraged and your cups have been filled up! My mission in this series is to empower you along the way to be the wife, husband, friend, sister, daughter, son, PERSON you have been called to be...one post at a time. My desire, and more importantly, God's desire is to see you walk right smack dab into your calling and purpose in life with arms wide open.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately. {You know, right? LOL} One of the things I've been meditating on is my life and how over again God has never failed. Never. Even when I thought He did...I am reminded, HE DID NOT. And He never will.

 

Are you guys catching a theme here in this series? I sure hope so!

 

Phillippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. NLT

You see that? Paul writes to the believers in Philippi a note...an empowering, encouraging note. His first words are "I am certain...". And further into the passage there's the word "continue".

God's work in you and in your life is CERTAIN to CONTINUE. Let's look more closely at that word continue:

1. keep going: to last, or make something last, beyond the present or throughout a period of time
2. not stop: to keep up an activity or state already begun
3. start something again: to start doing something again after an interruption or pause

Originally I was only going to post one of these definitions but they are all just too good! 
Continue: keep going.
Continue: to last
Continue: beyond the present
Continue: not stop.

Come on guys! Ya gotta get excited with me, friends! He {our God} who began a GOOD work in all of us...is faithful to CONTINUE: NOT STOP, KEEP GOING, MAKE IT LAST until the VERY END. Until COMPLETION. Until the end of the end.

 

And for those of you who wonder if you've messed up that work He began...continue also means to start again. {see definition number 3}

 

His faithfulness...continues. His goodness...continues. His love...continues.

His mercy and grace...continue. IN YOU.

 

Don't give up. He's doing something great. Promise.

XO,

 

Well, at least one of them...

If you've followed along for a while you'll remember this post I did a long time ago. As a matter of fact it was years ago. I have dreamt of owning a dress form. My dream has finally come true. 

Since that orginal post in 2009, my heart has literally gone pitter patter each and every time I see these wonderful works of art. 

While surfing around on Craigslist, looking for nothing in particular as I normally do, I stumbled upon an ad that changed my life. Okay, so that may be a little bit of a stretch but it absolutely got my heart pumping as I emailed the seller to find out if either of these lovelies (she had two) were still available. 

When I awakened the next morning there was a reply from the seller waiting paitiently for me on my phone. My hands literally trembled as I opened the message. Wait for it...it was AVAILABLE!!! Both of them! Oh, be still my heart.

I attempted to keep calm so as to not give away how excited I was about coming so close to owning something that I've coveted for so long. The seller and I agreed to meet in the parking lot where she worked. I was so beside myself. Literally. I felt like I had jumped outside my body and back in a few times before meeting with her. 

Before I drove out, I made sure that she was willing to wiggle on the price. She was more than willing. I normally always ask for pieces that I am serious about buying and that I am going to be meeting someone to take a look at. This  time was no different. As bad as I wanted one of these, the price STILL had to be right. 

I pulled into the parking lot and found the vehicle that she described and...waited. It felt like hours. Finally I saw her walking down through my rear view mirror and thought to myself, "Let the games begin."

She opened the trunk of her car and I swear smoke came out and angels sang. There she sat, waiting for me...her new owner. I had to have it and the seller HAD to give it to me for the price that I wanted it for. She had to. 

Before meeting her I had literally prayed, "Lord, You know I've wanted one of these things forever and while I know it's not a necessity, I know that You care about the little things so I am asking that you soften her heart and that she is willing to let this dress form go for a steal. Amen." 

She began explaining to me how she acquired the forms and that she wasn't really attached to them at all. In my head: "Thank you, Lord". Finally, it was my turn. I began to explain to her how I've wanted one of these since I was five years old and how much I would love to have it given the condition. I then proceeded to ask her{for all you Dave Ramsey fans out there} what would be the best price she could give me on it. My heart raced. Are you ready? $30 bucks,folks. I paid $30 bucks for this lovely lady. Even more crazy is that she went down from her asking price of $100 without a word from me. Now, I can tell you that because I will never sell it. I may even request to be buried with it. Yes, I am seriously considering it.

You see, I knew at that moment that God loved me the most that day. I just couldn't believe it. It was the precise number I had in my head and on my heart as I prayed prior to meeting her. 

She'd already collapsed it so I just needed to transfer it from her cat to mine. You would've thought that I stole something as I screeched out of the parking lot. I figured I had better get outta there fast before she figured out what she'd done. 

This is "Lovely" stuffed into the passenger seat of my truck. I couldn't wait to get her home. 

I couldn't wait to get some free time after the kids were down to set her up and tomorrow I get to use her at a public event where my work will be featured. More on that later! 

via RHI Instagram

I don't have a lot of vintage jewelry and I knew that would look absolutely amazing on her. I used what I had and went for some of my antique bronze jewelry since it has a vintage look. 

So, what's on your wish list? What are you dreaming of lately? 

Thankful for answered prayer,