Infectious gratitude and touching praise - Psalm 116

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord
"Please, Lord , save me!"
How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the Lord 's presence
as I live here on earth!
I believed in you, so I said,
"I am deeply troubled, Lord ."
In my anxiety I cried out to you,
"These people are all liars!"
What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord 's name for saving me.
I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

The Lord cares deeply
when his loved ones die.
O Lord , I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord .
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people—
in the house of the Lord
in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord !

NLT translation

Win a YLR t-shirt!

Here is a great prize for all you t-shirt wearing folk, from You Love Random. One lucky person will the following purple You Love Random t-shirt!  

To be in the running to win this t-shirt, just answer the following question: what's your favourite t-shirt wearing activity? 

-boring bits-
One entry per person
Open to Australian residents only, sorry.
Competition closes Tuesday 5th September, 11:59pm.
Winner will be contacted by email and will be announced in this post.

T-shirts made by fairies in LA (American Apparel), screen printed in Melbourne.

Update: Won by Barb via g+! Congratulations and you'll receive your free t-shirt shortly :) 

Love Me

"Love Me" by Curtis Kulig

Do you have artwork that is yet to be hung or framed? I do.

Artwork can help make a place feel like home quickly. It gives the allusion that the person is truly settled in. Once the artwork is hung it's as though a house sigh's, smiles and welcome's you home each day as you walk in the door - even if all the boxes aren't unpacked - at least in my mind.

Though I hold these romantic ideals, in reality after five years my Yok bottle is still only resting against a wall, and a Curtis Kulig print I purchased in 2010 entitled "Love Me" still hasn't been framed. 

My procrastination has been hiding behind this transient notion that "one day soon, I'll move".

But enough is enough; it's time to frame Curtis Kulig!

Do you have artwork that is hidden away, waiting for the right time to see the light of day? Tell me about it in the comments.

Would you like a letter in the mail?

When was the last time you sent or received a hand written letter or postcard in the mail? 

Most of the time I get bills and junk mail - it can be depressing. 

Pretty envelopes usually only arrive in my letterbox with the announcement of an engagement or wedding. But the thrill of a letter or postcard just because... well that rarely happens. 

I'd like to invite you to change this with me. I'd like to send you a letter!

© Zo Ebb

Over the last few weeks I have been sending letters and postcards to friends and family because... it's fun! Some of my family is in the thick of war overseas, some live in the same city as me. Some friends are chasing their dreams in far away lands; pressing wine or animating their imaginations for all to enjoy. Yet, others are learning about the ever changing world of their adorably cute babies. 

Whatever they are doing and wherever they are, as I drop their letter in our red mail boxes, I can't help but smile and wonder when they will receive it! 

(Creative Commons)

Email, facebook, phone conversations and spending time with people are all fine. But the thrill of receiving a handwritten letter or postcard in the mail, I believe it's heart warming in a different way. 

Tearing open an envelope with a smile, full of wonder about what has been scrawled on the pages inside; it's not announcing an engagement or wedding. 

It's just because.

Would you like a letter in the mail? Comment below and a letter or card will be yours!