That Time of Year...

I absolutely love this time of year around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Clint and I had a great week off of work relaxing, decorating, doing some much needed cleaning and most importantly spending some good time together. We both coach fall sports, so it was much needed, well deserved, and thoroughly enjoyed. I was also able to go to the State Volleyball Tournament and do some fun Christmas shopping with my mom. I absolutely loved having her in Grand Prairie for a few days. No matter how old you get or how far away you are…you always need your mom. I am truly blessed to believe that anyway. I made a short trip to Austin to see my sweet sister in law, brother, and new niece Margot. It was a trip full of naps and baby staring.

This is Margot in all her goodness and glory-now you understand the baby-staring.

Clint and I made a short trip to Ardmore for Thanksgiving to see his family. His parents are so gracious and giving, it is a humbling experience just to be around them. Last Christmas Glen (Clint's Father) saw what terrible shape my boots were in, and spent the next hour cleaning and shining them for me. Almost a year has passed, and again he insisted on fixing them up for me. I continue to be amazed at how well I am loved and taken care of by his family. Something as simple as boot shining means an incredible amount…even though if you know Glen you would know he doesn't cut any corners and the shining job he gave my boots and what they looked like beforehand you would know it was no simple feat. We had a great meal with his parents, brother and sister in law, and their baby Elizabeth (EJ). Our "boys" had to make camp outside and perfected their "pitiful looks" at the door.

This is the "after" shot of my freshly shined boots... 

The boys (Rooster and Owen) begging to come in and join in on Thanksgiving with the Burns'.

I spent most of the week Christmas shopping and decorating the house. It is our first Christmas married and my first in a house, so it was exciting to be able to decorate the house! With two dogs I am just hoping it makes it to Christmas that way. I know that none of the plants in the backyard have survived their terror, so I may build a fence around our tree :) Here are some decorations of the house,…

 Yes those are dog stockings. Stop judging. 

 I got these little measuring hedgehogs from a dear friend as a wedding present…so happy to have them hanging out on the counter with my gold trees!

 I painted the Joy to the World on a cheap piece of wood from Home Depot. The letters were found at Joann's and I simply spray painted them with metallic spray paint…attaching a nativity scene ornament with a ribbon in the center of the "O". 

 I am loving this vintage nativity scene my mom gave us this Christmas. I painted the black canvas with a white paint pen to give it the "chalkboard look". 

 This tree was almost the death of me. I decided to try and save money by getting a non-lit tree, but I think the frustration more than made up for the money saved…according to me. If you ask Clint, any saved money was worth it :) At the end of it all, I really love it and glad I did the lights myself. The star is from Target, and I love how it all came together. Big thanks to my mom for helping me get the majority of it done! 

 The "wreath" my mom and I made for our front door. I am loving driving up to this door and wreath everyday! 

 I decided to use old books as our stocking hangers by writing our names on the binding of each book…and yes that is one for Owen and Rooster, even though Rooster's was cut out of the shot. We are officially "those people". But if you ever met them you'd understand. 

This is hanging over our bed. I really like how it turned out. To really irritate Clint I often use my "West Texas" voice when I say things…which could also be called "Texas football coach voice". I'm pretty proud of it and use it as much as possible, so when I came up with "Merry Freakin' Christmas",…just imagine it in that voice. It makes it much better…believe me. 

I have a few more final touches and other things not seen here, but I've really enjoyed the house decorations and can't wait to have my family over for Christmas. I am a covenant member at The Village in Dallas, and on Sunday Matt spoke on the season and basically not buying in too much into the "feeling" this time of year brings. He spoke of the Christmas blues, which occurs once Christmas is over and all that spending and good feeling is gone…and we are just as unfulfilled as we were beforehand. I hope we stay mindful of the meaning, and what God did for us. He provided a way for us to be with Him…which was His perfect son. Otherwise, we would have been separated forever from his love. He loved us and continues to love us that much. It's huge…it makes the miraculous birth of Christ that much more beautiful. The birth and the cross are the perfect image of his unfailing love. It is the perfect image that He is Faithful to Finish. One message from Matt that I love and listen to time and time again is when he mentions that sometimes we get lost in this belief that "if God knew what I would struggle with, my pain, the disappointment, the reoccurring sin, that maybe He wouldn't have gone to the cross…but our ugliness, struggles, sin, it's not a surprise to Him. Instead, He says I won't leave you, I won't give up on you…you are MINE." That's why the birth and the cross mean so much, there is no larger picture of unfailing love and redemption. I hope you take in this season. I hope you make sweet moments with those that are important to you. I also pray for those of you that this time is difficult for you and yours year after year. But hold on and find hope in the love that God has for you,…and no matter what season you are going through I hope you find a chance to "shine someone's boots" in a way,…and never forget that He is Faithful to Finish. 

Open for Business!

I really wanted to title this post "Guess what day it is….", and end with "Etsy opening day…". However, I think that joke has run it's course so I spared you and went with boring "ol "Open for Business" instead :)

Well I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed I didn't reach my goal of 50 cards….BUT I did get to 36 original, hand made, cut, written, and constructed cards! I will be adding more in the next couple of days, especially Christmas cards so check back in the Etsy shop every now and then and see what's new!

If you like a card but want a name added, or different colors just message me on Etsy or Facebook and I will make it happen. I can't really express how excited I was to see my shop officially open and all of my products listed online! A small step…but a success I felt none the less. If you know of anyone that would be interested in buying wholesale get them in touch with me! Contact info is listed below.

Here are some examples of my cards, not all our listed but these are some of my favorites :)

 Each of these hearts are punched and placed individually by hand, truck drawn and colored all by hand…lots of love going into this one but as you can probably tell…my all time favorite. I think I should call it my "T-Pa Card"as I will always have a love for anything construction/trucks thanks to my dirt moving dad. 

      Inside of the "T-Pa Card"

 Again, each of these punched and placed individually by hand.

 This one 1 John 4:19 on the front "We love because he first loved us". The hearts are raised from the card. 

 "Thank you for all you do for me"

 These candles are each cut and placed by hand. "Happy Birthday" is hand written in a small banner at the bottom.  

 "It's only a flesh wound" is hand written on the front of this card with a raised "band-aid" and a red cut paper heart is placed on the band aid.

 "Get Well Soon" is written on the inside of the card, and a matching paper heart is added. 

This is a Thanksgiving card. "Blessings" is written on the front on a raised golden circle. The inside reads "To you and yours this Thanksgiving". Two feathers are added for you to insert into the card as well. 

I would love to hear your feedback and/or suggestions for new additions! Please take a look at the new shop! www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals Thanks again for your support of the blog and all things Timmi Burns.

Instagram @timmiburns
Twitter @timmiburns
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals
mnocards@gmail.com

I hope you have a great Wednesday and never doubt that He is "Faithful to Finish".

Two Seconds...

The Countdown to the Etsy shop opening is pretty exciting, but not quite as thrilling as my countdown to Thanksgiving break! I don't know what it was about this past work week, but it was one of those where the days seemed like weeks and the week seemed like a month! I caught myself the other day thinking I really didn't want to be at work. I think it was easy to realize because honestly it was the first time this school year I had honestly thought that. Unfortunately, I've continued to feel that way all week. No specific reason…I think it's just getting to that time for a much needed break. I also think it's a time when I need to really focus on God and allow him to work through it with me and get me to the other side.

Last volleyball season I decided to fast every Monday. I knew that once season started and I got extremely busy my relationship and time spent talking with God would suffer. As much as I hated to admit it, I also knew the reality of being "in season". For those of you that have never coached high school girls before, the best way I know how to explain being "in season" is herding cats that suffer from ADHD, forgetfulness, moodiness, and all the day-to-day stresses that come from being a high school girl…oh yeah and you need to fit teaching volleyball, winning, getting along, being responsible, a good student/teammate, and dealing with severe parent blinders and e-mails in there as well. I'm sure one day I'll have a pair of those blinders myself. Don't get me wrong, it's also one of the most rewarding experiences and time of the year for me as well. Which leads me to believe cat herders must feel pretty good about themselves at the end of the day as well.

For the fasting, I would allow myself coffee, water, and juice but nothing else. It really was a growing experience for me, and one that brought me closer to God. Through the fasting, I allowed allotted time to spend in the middle of my day for reflecting on things but the effects did't just stop there. I am a fairly little person, but don't let that fool you…I love to eat. Mondays were no fun…but as my stomach growled or felt incredibly empty, it would remind me why I was hungry…why I hadn't eaten…and in that 2 seconds it reminded me to say "Thanks", or "I'm dragging, you're going to have to sustain me" to my God. It was a constant reminder of my God, and how good He is, how faithful. Those 2 seconds spread throughout my day over and over again became such a sweet and frequent reminder and turned into some of the sweetest moments with my God.

I think sometimes I/we get caught up in needing all this "time", we need to set aside an hour..30 minutes or we haven't done an adequate "quiet time". I've realized that sometimes unfortunately that schedule doesn't work for me…I've realized that sometimes 2 seconds really add up to something significant and special. I often have to remind myself to not get caught up in the legalism of the relationship…just get caught up in the intimate moments or even seconds with my God. I may not fast anymore, but I am learning to take things and feelings like "not wanting to be here" as my reminder to spend those next 2 seconds just saying "thank you"…or maybe even "I need you to help get me through…"Those 2 seconds begin to add up and have become very meaningful to me.

*Our devotion to God isn't measured by how extravagant we behave when we feel Him, but rather how we behave when we don't.

He is faithful to finish…

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twitter@ timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com

What is M 'n O?

Well it looks like I am getting extremely close to opening up my Etsy shop and having items listed. I am up to 15 cards so far and one small painting. I am listing items on Tuesday,…my goal is to have about 50 cards and 4 paintings listed! Keep a look out for the big announcement Tuesday when my Etsy shop is officially open for business!

I have really enjoyed the process so far, and look forward to creating more cards and paintings everyday. The past two nights I haven't been able to work on them because of other obligations, so I am literally counting down the minutes until I can be at home…in our "office" sitting on the floor cutting, painting, and making a wonderful mess. Clint walked in the first night of working and his first response was "o.k. there needs to be an organizational strategy put into place here…". Needless to say I am still working on that part of it. And by "I", I mean he is frantically searching for cheap storage ideas.

I have felt incredibly blessed by all of the support from family, friends, and coworkers and cannot wait to see where this venture leads. If you are one of those people…I thank you, and I love you. Clint has been incredible throughout the process and so supportive. I am lucky to have a husband that is my biggest fan and allows me to be a bit of a dreamer.

My goal is to have my 50 samples and some marketing materials ready within the next couple of weeks. I have researched some local, and not so local businesses that I am hoping will be interested in purchasing my cards wholesale to carry in their businesses. I am really excited about the possibility and also preparing myself for some closed doors and hard "no"'s.

Before I officially open my Etsy store and post item pictures on the blog, I wanted to talk a little bit about my card line and Etsy store name. The name I've chosen to represent this little venture is ……."M 'n O". I've had a couple of people ask what it was and wanted to tell the story, because I think it is important to what I do, and the purpose behind it all.

M 'n O is short for Mimi and Opals, named after my two grandmothers. Mimi is the name Shane and I gave my mother's mom and Opal was my dad's mom. I wanted to name my venture after something and someone that I love and admire. I wanted to reflect on things handwritten, because I think these are the things that stand the test of time. There is something oh-so special about handmade and handwritten things. I think they tell incredible stories years down the line. I believe my grandmothers have pretty incredible stories as well and have led successful and loving lives leaving incredible legacies behind. I hope to do the same. I pray that this be a venture that shows God's grace, mercy, and redemption every step along the way.

Let the countdown to Tuesday begin…..

mnocards@gmail.com
twitter @timmiburns
instagram @timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals

First Post

In my 5 years of coaching and teaching, I have always had the lingering idea that I wasn't doing what I was "meant" to do. I have always loved coaching and building those relationships with my girls. Last year was the first year I really concentrated on praying over my girls, giving them handwritten notes for each game, and telling them I love them at the end of every practice. After 3 years, I had finally figured out the coach I wanted to be. Remain positive, reinforce and build up their self esteem, serve them well with dedication, loyalty, structure and discipline. This combination ended up working so well in my last position as a head coach. I believe great things can happen when you love and serve people well.

At the beginning of my career, I thought they needed to earn your trust and respect. However, a couple of years later while I was an assistant at Richardson High School, it came to me that maybe it was the other way around...maybe I needed to give it from the beginning and not only would they respect me in return, but they would become someone I would trust and respect anyway. It works. Yes, they are teenage girls, so yes they will make mistakes, they will disappoint. However, provide the discipline and the structure and it will lead to better decisions and not just for the present, but for the future which is even more important to me as a coach. All of this to say, I love my job. I love my athletes. I love seeing kids succeed and even more watching kids see themselves succeed.

This year, I decided to make a move and take an assistant position at South Grand Prairie. It was a good move for me both personally and career-wise, considering my goal from the beginning has been to be a head coach of a 5A program. I also recently got married, and am at the same school my husband teaches and coaches as well. It is a huge school so it's not like we see each other constantly, but the random wave or hello is really nice. I also love the fact that we are living and serving the same community, students, athletes, and high school.

We had a great volleyball season that wrapped up Tuesday night, and I really believe helped girls have a meaningful season. Every year towards the end of volleyball season I have noticed I go through a "depression period", I don't really like using the term depression in the casual sense, but it's just a weird feeling that overwhelms me, which I think comes over anyone after such a long period of time of pouring yourself and all your time into something that is suddenly over and no longer in existence. This is when I generally really start to hear that lingering questioning again of if I am doing what I am really supposed to do.

The other day, a student that walks by my room everyday asked if I went to church. I told her I was a covenant member at The Village in Dallas. The next day she mentioned that she had asked me that because "she could tell",...it made me realize I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I pray that I don't grow satisfied with this one comment but strive to make that same impact on many other students especially those that are non-believers.

So...why did I do all that rambling? I say all of that to tell you I know I am in the right place, for now. However, I do still have that need to create and use my artistic talents (not sure I can go as far to say they're talents), maybe more artistic interests....and make art! I have always had to coach more than one sport and never found the  time or energy to do much during the school year. Well, this year I am only a volleyball coach! So I am going to fill my "free time" with this blog, an etsy shop soon coming, and lots of artwork and handmade cards for sale! Lots of things posting soon :) Welcome to my life, and I hope you never doubt that He is "Faithful to Finish".