When I am Afraid

Sometimes I feel like I can't escape it.  The enemy seeks to see the fear overpower my soul.  But Truth from the Word gives me comfort & courage to remember I am not alone - & the One that is with me is mighty & strong & has overcome it all.

Love, Peace, & Strength in Christ,
-Bess-    

Bess' Bag Turns 4!

Today marks the 4th anniversary of starting this little blog!  Four years of crafting, fashion, music, godly girl talk, rambles, celebrations/heartaches, & most importantly sisterhood.  Thanks for being a Bess' Bag reader!  

"You're every bit of lovely!"       

Love {& Blowing Out 4 Candles}, Your Sister,

-Bess-

P.S.: Here's to the future...

Singles' Appreciation Day, Girls!

These new Jamie Grace songs are perfect for today!  Loving em!  Take a listen & decide for yourself!

So, here it is...  February 14th.  I was hoping to be busy & surrounded by folks at work, but the snow canceled all that.  I typically cherish a day to sit alone & ponder {& clean house}, but not necessarily for Valentine's Day.  However, I'm loved!  I'll buy some flowers & her favorite craft magazine & stop by my mom's later to wish her a happy love day {so blessed to have her - thank You, God}.  I've got some Hot Wheels for my nephew with the cheesy tag, "I wheelie love you!" {thanks Pinterest}.  I've already read 1 Corinthians 13 this morning - even though most of us know the verses by heart, it really is powerful stuff to read {I encourage you to if you haven't in a while}.  Oh, & did I mention even though I thought I'd never in a million years join an online dating site, I found myself registering for a free trial on the first snow day of this week?  More on that later.  So far it's seems strange & I don't think I'll upgrade to a paid subscription, but as my late grandma always said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."  Hmmm....  Well, that's my ramble for this Singles' Appreciation Day, perhaps they'll be more later.  Know you are loved & cherished by the best Love ever: Jesus.  

Love,
-Bess-

Song Love {February}

"Write Your Story" by Francesca Battistelli


"Keep Making Me" by Sidewalk Prophets


"Praying For You" by Mandisa

Musical Love,

-Bess-

P.S.: It's snowing where I live - it's kind of a big deal! =)

7 Valentine's Ideas

It's definitely a 'love match' with this cute & easy wall art DIY.

Give Valentine pencils this year {with free printable tags}!

Sweet ideas on how to turn vintage flash cards into adorableness! 

Carve your own heart stamp out of an eraser.

Free printables to frame - easy, peasy!

20+ free printable Valentine's cards!

Here's a bonus little something for all my fellow single sisters {it's hard to believe I wrote this back in 2011 - & yes, I'm still single - oh, ho hum}! =)

Love,

-Bess-

The Big Flood

I've missed you guys!   My life has been icky for a while here lately.  About three weeks ago I came home from work to ice right outside my front door {never a good sign}.  It looked as if it had gushed from inside & froze once it reached the doormat area... when I opened the door I witnessed that it had done just that.  I was standing in water inside my apartment!

This ice bucket was over half full of yellowy water from the mess, & my chalkboard sign stating, "happy 2014 - the best is yet to be" was smeared down the middle from the dripping {not a great start to the year}.

There was literally water standing in every room of my apartment, which meant anything on the ground was at best wet, & at worst ruined.  Thankfully I have renter's insurance, but still it's a nightmare of a situation.  Since all this has happened I've moved to a new apartment complex & let's just say my old apartment people aren't very happy about this & want me to pay a huge fine.  Please pray for me, sweet sisters!  I just want to see January gone & this fine business settled without too much drama.  I know God's with me, but He must be wearing waterproof boots!

Love Through the Mess,

-Bess-

New Year's Resolutions {AKA: Dreams}

Here's a few of my many dreams for 2014...

What are some of yours?

Snag a free printable reminder {below} to help you stay inspired over the next 12 months.  Print it out, frame it, scrapbook it, or place it on the fridge, why-don't-cha?

INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the image & then right click & save to your computer {or copy & paste}.  Open in a word document, resize if necessary, & print! 

CONDITIONS OF USE: My printables are free for personal use only.  Feel free to share them on Pinterest provided you credit & link back to http://bessbag.blogspot.com/ {Bess' Bag}.  If you want to blog about these printables, or share a project you created using them, it would be fabulous, just be sure to credit & link back to http://bessbag.blogspot.com/ {Bess' Bag} (feel free to use 1 or 2 of my photos, but please don't share the actual printable on your site - just add a link to it).  Thanks & enjoy!

Love,

-Bess-