Welcoming Wednesday Linky Party #2!!

Welcome to our Second LINK UP PARTY of 2013!

I cant tell you how excited I am to have this link up every Wednesday, and see what you have been doing and sharing over on your blog! Each week I will be featuring the blog(s) that I was drawn to the most from the previous week, and the link up will be open until Saturday after the link up. Each week I will be featuring something different, anything from ANY of the categories below, so be sure to link up!

LAST WEEK we had 21!!amazing participants (and I had a tough time choosing)!

But I found it amazing, not coincidental, that TWO blogs had entries covering the last year in the lives of their families, inspirational words, and also THE EXACT SAME SCRIPTURE that they both felt the Lord pressed on their hearts! Read with me:

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness    and streams in the wasteland.  ~Isaiah 43:18-19

A new thing.  
That is what this blog is also about this year, 

God doing another new thing with all the blessings He has bestowed upon our family.

Unwrapping His Grace and  31 Cups both wrote about the challenges of the year behind them and the beauty of the future ahead of them.

One has faced the tragic death of a loved one, 

and one has faced a year of suffering, in her words: "A Wasteland".

And yet both look forward to see the "new thing" that God will do in the year ahead.

Unwrapping His Grace talked about how she and her children wrote "blessing Journals" (and one child even came up with a blessing jar) where they would record each step, each victory, each inch of progress as they learn to live without their husband/father who tragically was lost in a car accident in July. They were all injured, but Will, Mary Joy's husband, went to be with the Lord. 

They have been surrounded by love, compassion, and people walking with them every step of the way as they journey on without him these last few months,  
and her story has really struck a chord in my heart. 

We all need new beginnings, and sometimes they come to us unwelcome, and in difficult circumstances. But we persevere, knowing we don't walk this path alone.

 

 31 Cups wrote of the same thing in a beautiful, thought-provoking essay---a challenging year, walking a wasteland, questioning your choices and your path. To know that through it all, even in the darkest times, there is a silver thread, unfraying and strong, and that is Hope. Hope in the Lord. That all things are renewed. All things will sooner or later come to an end, and another thing begin.

 And that new thing keeps you walking through the tough spots.

Both blogs were so beautiful, and honestly, if you have not been over there to check them out from last week, you should.

 Click here for the link to last week's Linky Party...

 Ladies, please feel free to add our Welcoming House button on these posts, and the statement that you were featured by us. I will have my Featured Blog button up and running in a couple weeks, and will be sure to contact you with that. 

You will also be entered in my Featured Blogs Contest that will continue throughout the year, where all the blogs will be entered for a large prize, to be announced in November.  

Thank you for opening your doors and your hearts and sharing such a beautiful thought with us. We all need to think of that "new thing" that the Lord is soon going to be doing in our lives!

 ******************

It is time for the second Linky party of 2013. Would you please read the following and link up your posts? Each blog is allowed to enter two posts that fit in these categories.

  

Entering your link is super easy, just click on the widget, and enter your URL link and thumbnail picture. It may take a little while to appear, but it will, just check back in a little bit! Please remember I moderate things, so it may take a little bit if you leave a comment as well! :)

The Welcoming Wednesday Link Party is open to anyone who is sharing posts from their blog in the following categories:

DIY: what crazy creations are you concocting over on your homepage this week?

Faith-based: Do you have a word of encouragement, life lesson, or heart speak to share with readers? ( please note, this is a Christan faith based blog, and this is the genre I am looking for..)

Family-based: growing and raising a family is important stuff, and we want  you to share your latest!

Herbs: Are you growing them? using them? Learning about them? Share with us!

Gardening: if you love the dirt, then this link up is for you!

Frugal ideas: We can ALL use more ideas on how to save money, time, and to reuse, recycle, upcycle, or retrain our brains to put more money in our pockets!

Canning or preserving: Got a recipe? Want to crow about your latest accomplishment? Dare to share your failures? We are right here waiting for it!

Homesteading: We want to live vicariously through your efforts, so please give us updates on your homestead and all its accomplishments:

Preparedness: I am a firm believer in being prepared as much as you can be and not relying on someone to swoop in and save you, so posts dealing with this are welcome!

Please no giveaways or affiliate links without prior permission.

 Our rules are super simple:
PG rated.
Nothing vulgar or crass will be tolerated.

In fact, a single verse comes to mind when I am looking for the heart of posts to be shared on this link up: "Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things!" (Philippians 4:8)

Be sure to link back here to the Welcoming House post so your readers can see all the wonderful posts from the Welcoming House community! You can find the code for my  button right over there on the right side, just edit your post, go to HTML, add the script at the bottom of your post and click update.
Voila!

Ready, set, go!

Many blessings to you and yours,
Heather