King of the Mountain by Max Lucado....

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut

My friend, Joan, had a really good post the other day. you might remember me mentioning Joan. she is the one who is so slap dash amazing at CAS. and she's a pretty insightful person in her own right, I must say. plus she's just so NICE! :)

anyhow, her post was about a person who left a comment about being discouraged with rejection in her crafty life. (hey, we crafters ALL know how that feels, don't we?) I was reading this devotional this morning and it really spoke to me about this dilemma. what is inspiring our drive?

here is the devotional:

King of the Mountain

King of the Mountain!  Remember playing that game as a kid? The object is to push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. Once there, you fight to hold your position. Don’t even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack up and you’ll be slapped down. And then you’ll have to start all over again.

As grown-ups we still play King of the Mountain, but now the stakes are higher.  The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.

I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift of God.  It’s characterized by respect for quality, a yearning to use God’s gifts in a way that pleases him. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. But the quest for power— it’s childish!

By the way, you don’t have to play King of the Mountain.

From The Applause of Heaven

you can find Max Lucado on both Facebook and Twitter. I have long been an avid reader of his books. have just recently signed on as a follower of his daily devotions. his down to earth, plain and simple way of putting things, is pretty inspiring.

and today's devotional is what I aspire to with my crafting - I just want to do my best to serve Him using the gifts He has given me. it's not about the competition. I WANT to be able to encourage my fellow crafters with whole hearted joy, no competition, but instead focusing on what is best for each of us in our own personal journey. that word 'respect' really jumped out at me. not just in crafting, but all areas of my life. I need to work on it, believe you me. I'm not there yet, but I'm baby stepping.....

in the spirit of sharing, the UK Sizzix site has some fabulous digital Valentine papers for free today. head over to download to your compy! :)