Jana's Design Forum

Boys Bedrooms

2007-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your question about boys bedrooms! You are right, sometimes it can be hard to find what you need when a boy is a "Tweener." They are no longer a little boy, but they're not in high school either. Plus, if you're going to put the money into it, you want it to last a while. One of the nice things about boys is that their likes and dislikes don't change as much as girls. Chances are, if they like the Diamondbacks today - they will like them two years from now as well, even if they're not winning. They may not be into sports - maybe they really like the out-of-doors: hiking, camping and fishing. Once again - chances are they are going to like these two years from now as well.

What is really hot for boys rooms right now?

camping/outdoors
sports
nascar
nautical

Suggestions - keep it real. When placing accessories in a boys room, they will feel like it is more manly if you use real objects. Instead of using a fake plastic fishing rod - use a real one! Instead of using a store-bought accessory boat ore - use a real one! This is the difference between a little boy room and a cool pre-teen/teen room. You can even get some spare car parts and use in an art box on the wall if your guy's thing is cars. Have fun decorating your son's room, but whatever you do - get Real!

God Is Good!

2007-08-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Wow! This has been an exciting week! It was so great to hear from so many of you in response to the email I sent out about upcoming ministry opportunities. Some of you were able to catch the TBN "Praise the Lord" program on Friday, Aug. 10th. Thanks for your words of encouragement. I had a lot of fun filming that segment with my friend Donna Kafer who is the Chaplain of the Arizona State Legislature. I was so thankful for the opportunity to share the ministry that God has given me. Donna has also written a book called, "Women of Courage" - it is definitely worth picking up - I am enjoying it very much.

God is definitely very good. One of the key verses for the Save Perfection for Heaven ministries is:

Phil. 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

I am so glad God knows that life is an ongoing lesson - never fully achieved until we see Him face to face - aren't you glad He looks at us that way? Can you imagine what it would be like each day - if we were trying to live it perfectly? Some days might be going very well, and we get to the last few hours of the evening and yell at the kids for no good reason - blew that day. Well, we will try tomorrow. We get up, eat breakfast, put the dishes away only to find that someone didn't rinse their plate adequately - we become mad and let a word slip (or just think it in our mind) - great, the whole day is blown now! We trudge through the day hoping tomorrow we will finally have a perfect day under our belts. What an icky way to live!

Paul was walking in the confidence of Christ - not because Paul viewed himself as perfect (not that I have already obtained all this) but he pressed on anyway - because of the promise of what Christ was doing in him. Earlier in Philippians, Paul says:

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6.

I know I need to be reminded all the time that God gave me promises - He has my best interest in mind, and He doesn't expect me to be perfect. What He does expect me to do is to trust in Him and His ability to complete that which He started in me. Whew! That's a load off - it's simply not up to me to be perfect - it's up to Him to be Himself in me as I allow Him the freedom to reign in my life. Thank God - He is a good God!

Have a great week letting God do that good work in you.

Jana Conrad

Garden of Growth

2007-08-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this picture of the garden. It reminds me of growth. I am so glad God doesn't give up on me - He doesn't give up on you either. I was reading today in Acts about how the high priest and some of the sadducees were jealous of the apostles. They had the apostles arrested and put in a public jail. Listen to what happens:

"But during the night and angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 'Go, stand in the temple courts,' he said, 'and tell the people the full message of this new life.'" (Acts 5:19-20 NIV).

Sometimes we get stuck in old ways of thinking and acting and God has to remind us that He is never stuck. His way is always fresh and new. Not that He is changing, but that He is changing me - to be more like His Son! The word "new" occurs in 173 different verses in the Bible. You know God could have just created one of something - but in everything He created, He made it able to reproduce - creating new life over and over again. He wants to do the same in us. In Romans 7:6 it says:

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."

I'm so glad God isn't stuck and that He allows us to grow.

Have a great week,

Jana