Getting Ready for Encouragement Night

Tomorrow night is Encouragement Night for us ladies.
I can hardly wait!
We meet each Thursday and eat loads of cake and laugh til we cry at the stories of our lives for this past week but this week is extra special! Every now and then, we try and actively encourage each other, nurturing the gifts within us such as laughter, creativity and encouragement.
It helps us celebrate and enjoy life and our adventures, mis-haps and to affirm each other for how we see each other's gifts, skills, talents and value our friendship.
We try and be creative!
One time we did it as pass the parcel, where we each wrote out a favourite verse and had a wee gift to go with it. All the wee parcels were wrapped in between layers of paper. You pass the parcel round and when the music stops, you undo a layer! The prize for that layer is revealed, then the music starts again and the parcel continues to pass until the music stops again.
Get it?
It is a classic British childhood birthday party game!
We love it!

So, in our variation of pass the parcel, the encouragement cards and gifts and verses formed the layers of the parcel.It was a bit random and surprisingly, no-one got their own verse. The one I got was a real encouragement to me: about God binding up the broken hearted. The verse was written on a cloud in the shape of a heart and came with some funky plasters with words like OWW, or OUCH!

Other times we have picked names (out of a teapot) and prayed for that person during the week and written it down in a card for them. This encouragement was the verse about the Son shining on the righteous, complete with some rather yummy smelling body lotion called: "Righteous Butter"

This time, we are doing a bit of a game based on the childhood game of "consequences". With a twist of course!
In the original game each person has a piece of paper and writes an answer to a question, for example favourite holiday place, most embarrassing moment, boy's name etc. After each category it is folded down and then passed on to the next person. It can be done with drawing people, with each fold being parts of the body like head, neck, etc.
When every one has had their turn the paper is unfolded and shared/admired/read out etc making no snese at all for the snetences, or for the drawn figure, producing lots of laughter.
Tomorrow, we will do things like write down the funniest thing the person has done, what verse reminds each of us of them, bringing an object/gift/homemade craft for each person to encourage them.
Oh, and I almost forgot.
Party bags!
We are each having a party bag that by the end of the evening will be filled with Encouragements for each of us.
We have written a list of things to write/bring to go inside during the evening!
I can't wait.
More news to follow- of course I can't spoil the surprise, yet!
How do you encourage your friends?

Remember to be thankful for encouragements!

Last week at girlie cake chicks we tried to encourage Rachel, as it was her birthday! Here is how we did it:
1. During the week, we each prayed for Rachel and asked God to remind us of a quality,skill, talent or gift that we have seen and loved in her and that we appreciate her for.
2. We then thought of a verse form the Bible to go with this.(God is a really big help here too, in helping us find just the right verse!)
3. Then we thought of a gift to help illustrate this for her - it could be handmade, shop bought or something that we already had that we could give to her.
4. We then wrote out the verse on a funky card and wrapped the gift and brought it along to our girlie chick cake group!
5. We had loads of fun watching her open her gifts in turn and reading out the encouragements we had for her.
She was really encouraged, but she did also cry too!
It is such a blessing to encourage others in really fun and creative ways.
Sometimes we put all the gifts together, individually wrapped in between layers to make a really big parcel and pass it round, listening to music. When the music stops, you take off a layer to reveal each prize/gift/parcel. In England, this would typically be a childhood game called pass the parcel!
We, as groovy girlie cake chicks, love it!
Last week, to save time in wrapping, we each brought separate gifts for Rachel to unwrap.
Here are some of the things we gave her and the encouragements. I hope it inspires you to encourage someone today in a creative and fun way!



The chocolate lollipop and some tulip bulbs to plant went with this:Ephesians 3:16-19Prayer for an ever growing faith and that Rach would remain firmly rooted in the love and knowledge of Jesus because it is what really really makes her special and cherished. And she is a fab, loving and faithful woman of God.
The funky red mug went with an encouragement for Rachel to continue finding quality time, just for her - especially she just had her 2nd baby a few weeks ago!
My encouragement to Rachel was Daniel 12 v 3 about being a star, because she is!!!
she has so many pearls of wisdom for us,in such a natural and non-bossy way! So my prayer for her is to continue to grow in righteousness and wisdom.
Who will you encourage today?
enjoy being blessed to be a blessing to someone else today x

My Ode to Autumn: The Red Leaf.

I found one!
right on the floor as I walked through the park, the other day.
I have such great memories of finding red leaves. My birthday is during Autumn and I have a vivid memories of childhood parties at home. There would often be the game:"hunt the leaf." The leader, my big sister, would call out the colour, name, number or shape of a leaf to go and find. everyone would dash off, scrunching and scurrying or squishing (depending on the weather that day)through the leaves until we found one. We would dash back to her in the middle of the garden, clutching our leaf or leaves as if it were treasure to listen for the next challenge.
no prizes or treats given in this game, just the joy of discovering our own valued and precious treasure.
The most highly prized treasure, for me, was always finding the Red Leaf.
Such memories came flooding back when i found this leaf, right in front of me, staring me in the face.
Treasure.
My Red Leaf.

Introducing Tudur, the growing kitten.

I thought that I would introduce you to my new and growing kitten, Tudur. He has a Welsh name as he comes from Wales and his name means divine gift. His middle name is Smudge, because he has a smudge on his nose! He has been with us for about 3 months now and is about 6 months old.

As you can see, he likes to hide!
he doesn't like the rain .... but he likes to play with his toy fish!

He is trying to be big and brave and expolre the garden now (but sometimes he gets a bit scared).

He loves to run up and down the stairs, especially playing chase the ball!

He is very cute, cuddly and.... he likes to sleep.

Hunt the chocolate game, with a bridal favour twist.

Last night, a few of my friends - we call ourselves the groovy girlie cake chicks, gathered to celebrate with Emily, who gets married next week! We usually eat cake together and laugh 'til we cry. Sometimes we make creative things or spontaneously pray for each other, but last night was in honour of the Bride to be.

Emily really likes cheese, so we had a wonderful selection of cheese and biscuits, pickles and I made bread, with my new breadmaker, from my friend Rachel. (Olive with rosemary and Italian herb bread, which I made with oregano, basil and thyme).
We often play traditional British childhood favourite games together, as girlie chicks when it is someone's birthday. Hunt the chocolate is a firm favourite! To give the game a bridal twist, we put the chocolate and sweets/candy into some netting cut into squares, like bridal favours and tied them ribbon.

I hid them around the house before everyone arrived...

..... and then everyone dashes off and grabs (literally!) as many as they can.



We then count them, to see who has the most.












Last night we threw them all into the air....



.... like confetti!

Have a lovely wedding Emily!