Be Encouraged: Owning Your Weakness And Forgiveness - Joni Eareckson Tada Message Share

This posting was just shared on our Sure Hope Gazette blog. Since these videos and this dear godly woman, my earthly hero, speaks from experience and pertains to our lives, it makes sense to share her message on this blog as well. We can only face each day because of our Saviour, our heart is that anyone who want to know about the Sure Hope we can all have, will get a lot out Joni's words.

And please don't think this message is only beneficial for persons living with physical disabilities. Not at all, this message is great for all of us. You may think, oh that's Joni, the lady who broke her neck in 1967 when she was 17. She's the lady who inspires people living with disabilities. That's great for them, but, I don't need to listen - it's not for me because I don't have a disability.
Well, we would ask you if you do think like that, please think again. Joni's message is always a powerful one to all people. Whatever you may struggle with or however you may feel, god blesses this amazing woman with a heart that shares the love of Christ. She encourages me, and millions of others. And we want to share more messages from her as we receive them to help inspire and motivate, spur on anyone who's heart longs for meaning, Sure Hope and New Life. Including seeing that quality of life is not about whether or not your body works, you are healthy or rich, successful as the world sees successful, come and hear what real Sure Hope is all about, from a woman who knows what of what she speaks.

The cool thing as often happens in my life, is how God has an amazing way of encouraging us just at the right moment, right when we need it. He knows what we need, when we need it. Today, He knew I needed to hear from my earthly hero who speaks about my Heavenly Hero, Jesus Christ. How our weaknesses really are our strengths because of Him. close to Him.  He cares about all aspects of our lives.
Owning Your Weakness - Joni Eareckson Tada

Forgiving Like You've Been Forgiven - Joni Eareckson Tada

EXPRESS YOURSELF NO MATTER WHAT - OVERCOMING PHYSICAL CHALLENGES

Ever since I can remember, I have been making art, creating in what ever way I want. Mostly in two dimensions, painting and drawing.  . As my hands weaken, I am always adapting new ways to create. Recently, I just learned how to work with my hands using polymer clay. Never thought it would be possible, especially since my hands are at their weakest so far. I decided to make a short video encouraging anyone out there who may have had their physical abilities change their artistic life. I am here to tell you don't give  up! 

Click video below to watch!

A Coloured Pencil Drawing by Anita Berglund

If you are creative and think you can't create because of your physical situation. I am here to tell you that there is always some way to express yourself creatively. It helps that I was born with my disorder, Spinal muscular atrophy, so it has progressed slowly, leaving me time to adapt as my abilities change.
Check Out a video short on what is new this week at A Bergie Creation (July 13th 2015) My Online Easy Shop that features my handmade jewelry. If you like, please feel free to pass the link along, it helps me out a lot!

Pasta Making, My Way...

Pasta Dreams
As far back as I can remember, I have been a lover of pasta. No Italian heritage required to be love pasta. My main source, the packaged kind. Even when my arms were stronger I never thought I could make fresh home made pasta. Thanks to the internet and the countless number of tutorials on ever subject under the sun, the inspiration to try making it hit me hard. At first I tried making gnocchi, something else I never thought possible. Gnocchi may be Italian, but it isn't exactly pasta. I believe it is referred to as a dumpling. Usually made with potatoes, flour and egg, it requires something I am not able to do, knead. Turns out it doesn't require as much kneading as I thought. Since I can't knead the traditional way, it was really exciting for me to figure out how to cause the gnocchi dough to be useable, even eatable. It took a couple of tries to master the texture and method, but it happened. Gnocchi is no longer something I can only buy in the grocery store or at Italfest!

As I continued watching pasta tutorials, it was time to go all out and make pasta. With my semolina in hand, I settles on one of a bazillion recipes for pasta. There are recipes with a heap of eggs, some with a couple, some with just water and/or oil…some with one hundred percent semolina, some fifty fifty, mixed with all purpose flour, some with just all purpose flour…some have oil, some do not. Needless to say, finding one recipe wasn't easy. Remember pin the tail on the donkey? Well, spin yourself around with a blind fold and point, where ever your finger points, follow that recipe. Okay, didn't quite do it that way, but I chose one recipe and started my pasta making adventure. It took a total of about five hours to make enough for one meal for Craig and I, but it worked! Since my hands and arms don't have much strength, as you will see in the video below, my first attempt was making the hand formed pasta called "Little Ears" in English. Was it perfect? No, it was edible. It was dense and chewy, but it was something. Just knowing that it was possible to make pasta by modifying the process so I could manage it, was incredibly satisfying. Then my next attempts involved a rolling pin and my husbands arms. That worked too. Better still, I was able to use the rolling pin, bit by bit, all by myself! Thank You God. How rewarding. 
Let's Make Pasta - Watch The Video Above

Original Illustration by Anita Berglund - Copyright 2014 - Not to be reproduced without permission