No More Excuses

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
—Henry Ford, American entrepreneur

My goal was to make polymer clay beads. The "obstacle", I didn't have all the tools I thought I needed to get started. The frightful thing was fear of failing. Focusing on the goal helped inspire me to take the first step. Once I got the clay in my hands I began to wish I would have started earlier. I made my first set of Polymer Clay Beads



What "obstacles" are you facing. Try focusing on your goals until they become bigger than those frightful things and powerful enough for you to take action.

Inspiration: U of M - Go Blue

God bless,
Designs by Jenean

I am HOPE

I am HOPE

I am Hopeful for real change
I am Optimistic for the future
I am Prayerful for peace
I am Envisioning a better day

I am HOPE

Jenean Matthews

Sparkling Baby Blues

Meet Frankie, the rare blue-eyed baby koala named after Sinatra

What a interesting and cute story. This is unusual, a koala born with blue eyes. He is adorable. The koala lives in Australia. I did a search on Google for animals born with blue eyes. There’s also a tiger and a wolf and more.
Frankie's story





Feeling inspired, I designed a pearl necklace named Sparkling Baby Blues.

I’m Too Blessed to be Stressed

There's so much talk of lay offs, mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcies and more. This appears to be a stressful period. However, I firmly believe that God is in control and I'm too blessed to be stressed. Just as some are passing on stories of how hard times are, know that there are plenty of triumphant stories as well.

People have gone through times like this in the past and have survived. It is not the end of the world. Don't look out in the future with gloom and doom; instead take life one day at a time. One positive step you can take is to take time to count your blessings. It's not ALL bad. Do you have family and/or friends that love you, do you have your health, can you see, touch, feel, smell and/or hear, do you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food to eat. If you have a number of these things going for you, then you are blessed. Take a deep breath, let it out, relax and instead of stressing count your blessings.



God bless,


Jenean
Designs by Jenean

Designs by Jenean Video

I finally did it. I finally became a part of the video world. Please feel free to take a look at my Youtube video. Almost 6,000 views in less than 24 hours!

Here's the link to the Youtube page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntdUR-R-LYE




Thanks.

God bless,

Jenean
Designs by Jenean

In Search for Your Purpose

I was visiting another Etsy member's blogLSKcrochet, and she wrote something on January 9, 2008, that spoke volumes to me. She was sitting with God while crocheting, looking to find her purpose in life. And she believes God finally revealed her purpose, which is her gift and passion for crocheting. You can view LSKcrochet's blog at http://lskcrochet.blogspot.com/.

I am passionate about beading. When I'm beading I'm so relaxed and excited about the project I'm working on. When I'm not beading I'm thinking of new designs. The dictionary defines passion as “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept.” And even more deeply, the suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion. God places passion in each one of us to fulfill His purpose in our life and to bring us joy for ourselves and sharing with others. What is your passion?



God Bless,


Jenean
Designs by Jenean

January Blues

I belong to an Etsy Team and each week we have an Etsy Theme of the Week (EBTW) for our team to promote. This week's theme is January Blues. January is a hard month to get through here in Michigan. The winters are long but it seems the sun doesn't shine much in the month of January. However, to get past the blues, I try to watch comedies. My favorite, that makes me laught all the time is the Rush Hour series. Wisdom says that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." Proverbs 17:22. Make sure you have your dose of laughter today and chase the blues away.


God Bless,


Jenean
Designs by Jenean


Technorati Profile

Night Beauty

Northern lights or Auroras, according to wiki, are natural different colored light displays, which are usually observed in the night sky, particularly in the polar zone. The aurora borealis are beautiful to view. They are very inspirational to me. I like to buy aurora borealis (AB) crystals for my jewelry. However, in this piece I was inspired by a pendant that reminded me of aurora borealis, a night beauty.

God Bless,

Jenean
Designs by Jenean

FREE Shipping

Free shipping for U.S residents will be continued until further notice. I have added a new category called Rings, and I have added four new rings.








God Bless,



Jenean
Designs by Jenean

Free Shipping for the Holidays!

Holiday Announcement:
Free shipping on all items sold on Designs by Jenean's Esty shop during the holiday season. Come visit and find the perfect gift for the holiday.

Thanks

Jenean

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Designs by Jenean recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Please take some time to pray for those fighting this fight and find a way to make a difference. A portion of all the sales made in the month of October from Designs by Jenean will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

God Bless Everyone,


Jenean

Will the “Real” Survivors Please Stand Up

I watched a program which showed how there are refugees from Africa that are in need of help. I began to reflect on the turmoil the people from Africa have suffered over the years. I began to wonder are the people surviving. Yet, I read information on the internet which shows the total population of Africa is estimated to be at 888 million people. The population is growing rapidly and some project it to grow to 1 Billion by 2015.

Over the years, many in the population have survived famine, droughts, wars, Aids and corrupt governments. Yet, the people on that continent continue to grow.

I began to wonder whether I could overcome such obstacles and continue to grow in my life. Sometimes, the things that I face in my everyday life weary me. However, when I think about how I overcome life’s challenges, I remember that I don’t go through trials and tribulations by myself. When I face obstacles, I remind myself of Romans 8:31-37,

31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

I can overcome all things reminding myself that I am more than a conqueror. I am a survivor.

Remain overcomers by trusting in God.

God Bless Everyone,

Jenean
Designs by Jenean

Your Only Handicap is in your mind

When you hear or see the word "handicap" what do you think in your mind. Do you think of a disability, a physical or mental limitation? Or maybe when you hear the word "handicap" you think of it as a way to get an advantage. Such as when a race or a sporting event is handicapped, someone will get an advantage, an opportunity to win.

There are many people with certain physical limitations but not mental limitations. They find a way to overcome obstacles. A young man with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, tried out for the show, So You Think You Can Dance. He was excellent in his craft, despite his physical handicap. When watching him dance, I could see in his face that he didn't see himself with a limitation, he knew he could dance. Although he wasn't invited to continue on to Las Vegas, he so impressed the judges, one in particular and was offered an opportunity to try out for a spot in a movie. His physical body may have placed certain limitations on him, but he didn't hold that same limiting image in his mind. I think we will be seeing more of this young man in the future.

In contrast, in sporting events, there's a different type of handicap. In horseracing, a jockey, on the most favored horse to win, may be given a physical handicap. The jockey is weighed down with weights to equalize the playing field. Life has a way of doing this sometimes. You may know someone or meet someone and be given a certain amount of favor with that person. As a result of your association with this person, your designs may be placed in a busy store or you may receive a certain amount of advertising.

Either way you want to think about it, use a handicap to your advantage. One of the best ways to change to a more positive point of view is to read motivation, spiritual and inspirational books. I encourage everyone to find a book and start encouraging yourself.

Bookmarks

God Bless Everyone

Jenean
Designs by Jenean

Simple pleasures

Sometimes in life you have to find the simple pleasures to keep you going. My simple pleasure is chai latte tea. I love to come home from a hard day of work and make a cup of chai latte tea. I love the smell and taste of the tea and it calms me. Being inspired by this tea, I have designed a necklace and earring set called Chai Delight with a Donut.

What is your simple pleasure? Go and enjoy it.

God Bless Everyone,

Jenean
Designs by Jenean

God's Interruptions

I just found out I'm going to be laid off from work soon. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the reality of what is going to happen in a couple of months. However, I began to pray and understand that this is all in God's hands. Everything is going to work out. I don't know how, but I do know WHO. I believe God is interrupting the direction I have been heading in and sending me down a different path. I'm certainly not the first person God has interrupted in life. Abraham was minding his own business, when God interrupted him in a burning bush. He ended up leading the children of Israel out of captivity. David was tending his sheep when God interrupted him and he ended up fighting Goliath then becoming the King of Israel. Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married when God interrupted them. Mary ended up giving birth to the Son of God. The Apostle Paul was on his way to persecute more Christians when God interrupted him. He ended up penning the most books in the New Testament.

You may have a plan for your life but when God interrupts you with His plan, you have to shift gears and begin to work His plan. Jeremiah said that God’s plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you an expected end. Based on the Word, I know the outcome is going to be good. The hard part of all of this is that God doesn't reveal the whole picture of His plan all at once. His plans are given step by step. As you complete one step, the other step is revealed. His plans are ongoing leading you to good things. It takes faith to follow through with His plans. The writer of Hebrews says, without faith, it is impossible to please Him. You must believe that He is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. Therefore, I have made up my mind that I will seek Him first and I will look at Him and not at the problem. I am making the decision to believe that I am alright and I am good to go.

Today, I’m demonstrating my faith with two crosses I have made. Wearing a cross is not meant to be a fashion statement; it is an outward demonstration of a person’s faith in their Savoir.

God Bless Everyone,

Jenean

Try, Try Again

I took a class to learn how to bead crochet. It felt so awkward using this new technique. I was sitting in front of the finished products and I wanted mine to look like the ones that were hanging there. Realistically I knew that wasn't going to happen right away. But for some reason, it made me feel a little frustrated when I began the crochet beading technique.

Later, I began to think back on when I was raising my son. I remember when he learned how to walk. Boy was that awkward. He would fall but he would get back up and try again. The next thing I knew he was running all around the house.

I remember when he learned to ride a bike, it was again, awkward, he fell at times but he kept getting back up and trying again and again until he got it right.

I remembered when he learned how to write and how awkward it was for him. His letters were huge and some were even backwards. None of the words ever came out on a straight line. Nevertheless, he kept trying until it became easy and more developed.

Remembering all of these events and the struggle it took to master them, I know that this new technique that I'm learning will take that same try, try again attitude. My instructor suggested taking a little time each day to practice and I'm going to take her up on her advice. To put a little pressure on myself, I’m posting a picture of my first attempt to bead crochet. I will post a finished product at a later date.

God Bless Everyone,

Jenean

No More Excuses!

I was watching Fox & Friends and I saw a young man who had cerebral palsy. He did not let that hinder him in realizing one of his dreams, to play on the basketball team at his school. This young man is an excellent free throw shooter. I use the word excellent because of the root word, excel. He has developed enough discipline, dedication and a powerful mindset that allows him to make a very large percentage of his free throw attempts despite his "handicap". In order to get to the point where he is at in life, I imagine he has risen to a level of self expectation where he gives himself no room for excuses.

I have been inspired today by this young man and I'm committed to developing a life without any more excuses. No matter how difficult the task may be, with dedication, disciple and the proper mindset, I can develop excellence in whatever goal I set for myself.

This lesson comes just at the right time. This weekend I had every intention of making a lot of earrings for my web site. However events began to occur and I pushed back my earring designing goal for the weekend and I found myself using excuse after excuse for why I could not make time to make the earrings. Reflecting back on the weekend and the inspiration I received this morning, I realize nothing is accomplished with excuses. Excuses are goal extinguishers.

My new mindset is to know that life will always try to get in the way of accomplishing goals, that’s a given, but a person has the potential to be strong enough to overcome the daily obstacles by being committed to a dream. Through this commitment success will come.

Having said this, I have completed one of many earrings to come.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5590725

God Bless Everyone,

Jenean

Inspired by March

I'm inspired by everyone's excitement over the color green this month, so I made another green necklace. This piece is being sold on my http://designsbyjenean.etsy.com shop. I've learned some interesting things about St. Patrick on wikipedia. Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick Wikipedia also says the following about the four leaf clover, "According to legend, each leaflet represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck." Enjoy the rest of the month everyone.

God bless everyone,
Jenean

Butterfly necklace

Today is the first day of my blogging experience. I was inspired to start a blog by my fellow beaders at Etsy.com. We are joining together to share ideas and support each other. I sell my designs on my own web site at http://www.designsbyjenean.com and on Esty at http://designsbyjenean.etsy.com. I love the community at Etsy but I also like the freedom to create and market with my own web site.

I have been thinking a lot about spring lately. The weather is warming here in Michigan and I'm noticing a lot of spring colors cropping up in the fashion industry. In response to the inspiration I'm receiving, I created my first spring piece.

http://www.designsbyjenean.com/ngreenbutterfly.html

God bless everyone,

Jenean