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Our Hope Is Within God

Dec23

Most of you know me as the lady behind Ladybug Wreaths. You may have even read my book or followed my blog posts as I’ve shared my journey through fibromyalgia. I’ve spoken about my successes and some of my failures. But rarely do I speak about the really dark years, the ones where God allowed me to sink to the bottom of the "pit" with no hope of a better life.

Or at least, I thought there was no hope. God knew better.

My husband Steve and I no longer had a life together. We were strangers in the same house growing further and further apart with each passing year. Neither of us could understand my illness with all of its debilitating pain and strange peculiarities. How could Steve understand what I was going through when I couldn't even understand it myself to explain it to him? And then God reached out His hand to us.

Only by God’s power did our marriage survive the attacks from Satan. God is using this experience now in both of us, not only for the sake of our marriage, but to encourage others.

So many of you are battling chronic illnesses, and even for those who aren’t, you still might be facing tremendous hurt in your marriages. Allow God to speak to your heart this Christmas. Be open to His plan for your life and your marriage, whatever it may be.

My blog, my website, and our story reach people from all over the world; people in pain and have no hope. Our hope is within God, and we gladly share that with you. He has poured His miracles down upon us by giving my husband a new heart, and a new understanding, along with an undying – cherishing, forever-after kind of love! And me – well, I have a healthier body along with courage built on a determination and strength that I never knew I possessed.

Ours is a very painful and personal story…but one that we feel God wants us to share with those who are desperately searching for the answer in their painful lives. I share the details in my book, My Journey Through Fibromyalgia. But for today, I encourage you to pray with your spouse, if they’re willing, for God to restore your marriage. Pray alone, if you have to.

God is listening and He cares about your broken heart. Mine was so broken at one time that I thought it could never be mended. But by God's own strong and tender hands, He did so. I believe He will do this for anyone suffering from a broken heart who puts their faith in Him. God's strong, gentle hands can change lives, molding the pieces of your life back together even while you are experiencing deep hurt. He can miraculously make us whole (and sometimes better than we were before) by reaching into our soul, making our lives more beautiful, more fulfilling, and more meaningful than we could have ever possibly imagined.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

My prayer for you this Christmas is one of joy, peace, and reconciliation. Life is short and peace is scarce in our world. May you rest in the supernatural peace found in the birth of our Savior.

God bless,

Nancy

 

Thank You God…That I am Tired

Oct11

"Thank You God" By, Nancy Alexander

That I Am Tired…

Where Do I Start? I'll start where every good thing in our lives comes from — God.

 

Knowing that I can and do get up every single morning and put on the "full armor of God" fills me with such security and confidence.  It ensures that I can have a day filled with Happiness and Joy which come from God's grace.  Now, that doesn't mean that I don't have bad days, I DO!  That doesn't mean that I don't slip back into the past very often and have to battle with "the evil one", I DO!  That does not mean that I don't slide down that "slippery slope" quite often that Beth Moore describes in her Bible Studies, because I DO!



It does mean that I have a Father who loves me beyond words…He is always there in my life holding out a hand to pull me out and rescue me…He is always there to soothe my broken heart…He is always there pouring blessings and miracles upon me that I certainly do not now, nor ever will deserve.



He had to choose between his "two loves" when he sent his son onto this earth!  How could a Father choose between His two loves:  one – flesh of His own flesh, and the other – His children created by Him to love and worship Him, and that He could also love and cherish in return.



I am speechless…I am in awe…that He chose His son to feel our pain and give His life so that there could be an open pathway flowing between us and our Father every single second of every single day for the rest of our lives.



God has worked such miracles in my family that there are way too many to list, and way too many to go into.  But I will say that during these last two years, He has made His presence known to us in such a way that leaves me amazed!



My husband, Steve, and I have just completed an exciting project together which was totally inspired by God — there is no other explanation.  We found that we could work side by side at our computers, electronically sharing and writing on the same pages at once.  With my strengths multiplying his weaknesses, and Steve's strengths doing the same for mine…well, that is something so wonderful we were blessed to share!  We enjoyed these (literally hundreds) of hours together and finished with an e-Book, a project that we never would have guessed could come to fruition.  And, we ended up with ideas to write at least 10 more books!



You see, God's hand was with us in this from the very beginning!  He sent people into our lives at just the right time when they were needed:  Jim Cockrum from www.SilentJim.com (an Internet Entrepreneur), who is so well known because of his honest and knowledgeable style — and who also charges $700 an hour just for a phone consultation; Linda Joseph from www.WebTechEnterprises.com (our coach), a very smart entrepreneur in her own right, a patient God-loving woman, who has handled so much of the technical "stuff" we didn't know how to do, or have the time to learn; and John Ritskowitz from www.marketing-medic.com (an amazing copywriter whom we were so blessed to be able to work with).  And, no, we could not afford these wonderfully brilliant people God sent into our paths, but He figured out a way!



Today was the "launch" date for this new book: "Secret Vendor List", where I totally and completely reveal ALL of my secrets and suppliers I worked 25 years to obtain.  In the wholesale/retail world, this is just NOT done!  Each retailer researches, studies, walks the halls in the large National Markets looking for the best suppliers with the best prices.  You know…the ones you can really trust!  Those are so hard to find these days!  I have felt led by God for some time with a soft spot in my heart for my customers…there is an attachment with them which I cannot explain…some really need help and that help just may be me.  So many of them are at places in their lives right now where I was for many years, and that is not a very pleasant or happy place to be.



Through our work (together, side-by-side) on this 200 page book, plus two more smaller e-Books, Steve and I have been working into the wee hours of the morning, and then jumping out of bed with a start the next morning to complete this amazing task.  Last night was one of those late nights, and this morning…well, another early morning.  So much to be done; newsletters to write; web pages to be redone; older e-Books to be revised and rewritten, auto-responders to be set up, and so much more!



Now…the joys…and amazement come as I am watching the "stats" as people come to my website and my blog from all over the world – 20 different countries so far!  I am answering emails about sales and downloads…I just feel so humbled that God reached down into our broken lives two years ago and changed them in such amazing ways! He has a plan for us.  He has a path for us…and we will certainly, blindly follow Him on this path for the rest of our lives knowing more Joy and Happiness awaits us than we can begin to imagine!



This is why I can thank God that I am tired! 

Friends From Country Sampler Magazine

Sep19

"Welcome Friends" By, Nancy Alexander

Welcome to Our Friends From Country Sampler Magazine…

WOW!  What do I say?  How do I start this post?  This has really been a whirlwind of a week!  First of all I turned 60 years old.  And no…I didn't flip out because I did that a week ago.  I thought I would get it over and done with so I could enjoy my birthday! AND I DID!  Steve took me to Charlotte for a couple of days and we had a wonderful time. 

 

I started getting calls yesterday and receiving emails for wreath orders.  This is when I realized that the new issue of Country Sampler magazine was being put online.  I have an ad in this wonderful magazine under Ladybug Wreaths.  You can CLICK HERE to see it.  That isn't all, though, because my wreath and my videos will be in a room scene when the magazine comes out.  It is being mailed to subscribers right now, and will be in the news-stands Oct. 1st.

Welcome COUNTRY SAMPLER Subscribers!
It is GREAT to Have You Visiting With Me!

 

Here is a close-up picture of me with the wreath which is featured in Country Sampler.  They also are featuring all twelve of my instructional, how-to videos!  Exciting, huh?  Well, it really is for me.  I literally spend hours on this wreath.  I wanted to feature one that has our "Wild & Woodsy" look for which Ladybug Wreaths has become known!  And this one is HUGE!  It is really filled with flowers, berries, greens, a bird house, red birds, blossoms and more!  You can go to my website if you want to take a closer look at it:  http://www.ladybugwreaths.net/wreaths-2/

My newsletter is being emailed out as I am writing this post, so make sure you are signed up on my newsletter list to get your copy on a six (6) session series about Decorating Small Spaces!  Oh, and if you would like to see a copy of this week's newsletter (or any older ones) and were not on my mailing list, you can find them here: http://ladybugwreaths.net/news/

I featured a special section in this weeks newsletter about displaying pictures – you know – the ones we keep in boxes and want to display them, but just don't have room for frames everywhere!!??

Here are a couple of pictures of an idea I had to display some of my photos.  I just LOVE it!  Tell me what you think??  I used double sided tape and taped these wonderful black and white photos to one of my old windows.  Yes, I do stop along the side of the road and pick up any old windows I can find…. LOL…. Also, I purchase any I can at yard sales.  There are always wonderful uses for them, just as I used this one.  I have it propped into a corner of a small niche in our home is perfect for displaying some favorite photos!


 I really do want to thank all of my friends and customers for your emails congratulating me for coming back – yes…. I am BACK!!!  And for all of the congratulations about my health and overcoming fibromyalgia!  It is working!  I am feeling so much better!  God is so good and faithful!


I had a wonderful birthday and a very busy work week.  Steve (my hubby) and I have been still working frantically to finish my new eBook.  I can hardly believe that it is close to 200 pages long.  I know what everyone must be thinking…how can you fill up that many pages without adding lots of fluff?? Well, we absolutely did fill that many pages with so much valuable information that my customers will be swept off their feet.  I only have a few more pictures to add before we turn things over to our GREAT copywriter…so stay tuned!

Life is Wonderfully Exciting and Busy

Sep14

"Life is Wonderfully Exciting" By, Nancy Alexander

The Alexander Family has  New Addition!..

I must start this post with a picture of our newest addition to the Alexander family!  Wyatt Thomas Alexander was born August 7th!  He is so precious and absolutely PERFECT!  This makes our fourth.  I have always heard that being a grandparent just cannot compare with anything else — well, they were right!  Our four "grands" are the JOY of our lives!  We thank God for them every single day!  In the picture below, Ava Grace wants to unwrap Wyatt to check him out.  She thinks he is one of her baby dolls!  So SWEET!

I am very frantic, rushed, excited, and busy today.  But I thought this day was worth taking a few minutes to post in Nancy's Ramblings.  I'm sure most of you know by now that Steve and I are putting the finishing touches on my *SECRET* Vendor's Supplier list. 

 

"The FIRST Secret List of Floral Design Suppliers — EVER PUBLISHED!" 

 

We have worked more hours that we ever believed was possible.  We have had detours which stopped this process cold!  But we have had many miracles which have rejuvenated our lives, our hearts, and our work.  The last few months have been full of excitement, JOY, and work.  This eBook has taken on a mind of its own.  It has grown to be wonderfully exciting and is so full of pertinent information that my customers will just not believe it when they finally get their hands on it.  I can hardly believe how God has inspired us in so many ways.

We have talked to suppliers and gathered together information that I have collected over the last 25 years.  Each day I remember more and more exciting things that I want you to know that I did not know when starting my own business.  This information about going to market, about purchasing from wholesale suppliers without letting them know that you are a "newbe" to the business, will help you so very much!  Oh, how I wish I had been able to purchase a list like this one when I first started!!

I truly DO NOT believe there is a list out there right now like this one for sale, ANYWHERE!!  I want my customers and friends to have all the information in one place that I had to dig, scrape and search for in the many years I was operating a business.

Okay, enough about the book! Except, we should be finished by this weekend – for those of you who have been waiting and waiting and waiting!  I do promise you it will DEFINITELY be worth the wait!  Now… Many other exciting happenings are going on at Ladybug Wreaths…

 

I have an advertisement coming out in Country Sampler magazine.  It has already been mailed to subscribers and will be online at http://www.countrysampler.com by this weekend.  It will hit the newsstands starting October 1st!  I will have a huge wreath featured in a room scene along with information about purchasing and ordering wreaths on the opposite page.  Also featured are my instructional wreath-making videos.  So, take a look if you get a chance.  If you don't subscribe to the magazine, you can purchase one after October 1st, or you can go online to view their newest edition. 

This is VERY exciting for me as Country Sampler has 350,000 to 400,000 subscribers, plus 1,000,000 readers!  WOW, that literally takes my breath away!