Important: This site has moved to a new address!

As I've mentioned already, we're on the verge of major life changes  - again.  In the constancy of change, this blog has been a happy place for me to store words and share them with others.  I will hold onto this little space as a place that is familiar, and, hopefully welcoming to you, too.  

But, even here, there's been some big changes.  I decided ten years was long enough time to warrant a bit of a facelift.  I've moved and expanded the blog to it's own happy website at tamarahillmurphy.com.  Will you join me over there?  

Instructions for subscribing to the new website:

Email subscription: I've done my best to integrate current email subscriptions into the new site.  If you've already received a post from the new site into your inbox, then you know the integration worked.  If you haven't, please sign up again in the sidebar at tamarahillmurphy.com .  

RSS feeds for Feedly and other web-based feed readers: Unfortunately, I can't transfer the RSS feed from this site (This Sacramental Life) to the new site.  

Fortunately, you can make that change easily in three steps:

1.  go to my new website at tamarahillmurphy.com

2. click on the RSS feed button at the top of the sidebar (or just use the link I've included here)

3. On the feedburner page, click "follow" on your preferred web-based reader listed in the upper right hand corner.  

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Happy anniversary, little incubator of words.  Thank you, friends, for your encouragement and intelligence and grace over the years.  Here's to ten more.

final week of photo stories to practice resurrection + last chance to enter for our final two print giveaways!

Thank you to all who have joined me the past two months, taking up something new and sharing your photo stories as a way to practice resurrection.  I think we've honored the mad farmer.  Hopefully we've encouraged each other along the way.  I have loved every single week.  Thank you, especially, to the ever-making Phaedra from PJeanArtMachine for her generous gift of prints we've given away each week.

You can still enter the drawing for this week's print: Just Begin.   Also,  everyone who has participated by sending a photo story or liking our facebook pages or sharing a post will be entered for a grand finale drawing of a brand new print from Phaedra's shop. (find the list of ways to enter both of this week's drawings at the bottom of this post)

We'll draw names for the winner of this week's print and the grand finale print thisTuesday morning.

And, now, for our final week of photo stories (and our first international entry!)

may 31
.....

I've seen the ocean many times. But this time it was different. I saw freedom, beauty, power and mystery. I saw the things that I was longing to see and feel in my adopted (Muslim Majority) country.  (Pam H.)

.....

I finally settled on a new telephoto lens; I've been shopping for a year before deciding. This was taken during my first hour with it. I didn't even see this falcon until it flew right over my head and in a tree not too far ahead of me. (Hope Spicer, Endicott, NY)

.....

A kindhearted potter gifted three pastors and their wives an afternoon of making with clay.  All of us gathered in from stressful seasons, overtired, wrung out.  To quote Shannon:  "It felt good to make something again."  (Coelhos, Warners, Murphys, Austin)

.....

We spent our first nights in the new house this week.  This is our third house in less than two years since we moved to Austin.  We are holding high hopes for deep, restful roots to grow down in this place.  (Tamara Murphy, Austin)

.....

A few more ways to enter the weekly drawing, leave a comment (on this post) every time you:

• Like This Sacramental Life on Facebook.  
• Like The Ambrosium (Phaedra's fan page) on Facebook
• Favorite PJeanArtMachine on Etsy 
• Become an email subscriber to This Sacramental Life 
• Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Google + or Pinterest (use all the cute little icons at the bottom of the post)

This week's giveaway:  Just Begin!

Just Begin (print winner and giveaway revealed)

Week 4:  Just Begin
Nothing begets nothing, but something just might beget something really good. 

Print details at PJeanArtMachine on Etsy.

Five motivational prints to give away in four weeks, week four:  Just Begin! 

Here's how to enter this week -- our very last week...

Three easy steps to play along our Practice Resurrection photo story series:

1. Take up something new. (one day or fifty days doesn't matter, just one thing that's new or, maybe just unique with this season)

2. Take a picture and write a description in 36 words or less.

3. Share the photo and the 36 word or less caption with me via email or facebook message by Thursday morning each week of the series.  You are welcome to share a photo story as many weeks as you'd like.

A few more ways to enter the weekly drawing, leave a comment (on this post or the Friday post) every time you: 

• Like This Sacramental Life on Facebook.

• Like The Ambrosium (Phaedra's fan page) on Facebook

• You already liked This Sacramental Life or The Ambrosium on Facebook before the giveaway began?  Go ahead and leave a comment (once per page) and we'll add you to this week's drawing.

• Become an email subscriber to This Sacramental Life 

• Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Google + or Pinterest (use all the cute little icons at the bottom of the post) 

On Monday mornings I'll announce the winner from the previous week and reveal the next print to give away.  The last week in May I'll also draw a name from all the entries during the entire series to win this brand-new, not listed yet print from PJeanArtMachine...

Now the winner from week two for the print of your choice.  (May I insert here for your imagining enjoyment, the first week we drew winners we did it up big photographing both my daughters drawing a name out of our pretty kitchen bowl.  we're moving tomorrow so this week was me in my sweats, throwing scraps of paper into a styrofoam cup.  But Kendra drew the name and I beat a drum roll on the kitchen countertop; we celebrated you best we could!)

drumroll for winner............  HALEY BALLAST!

Haley's photo story for last week

Congratulations and keep on rolling, baby Sadie (and tell your mama to let me know which print she wants)!

The Take Up Something New review

My original timeline for the Eastertide series, Practice Resurrection: Take Up Something New would have ended the with Pentecost (last Sunday for those keeping track).  What I didn't know then is that the lovely and whimsical Phaedra Jean of PJeanArtMachine would offer to sweeten our experience, donating motivational prints for me to give away each week.  Naturally, I wanted to extend the fun as long as possible.

So I'm still watching my refreshing my gmail every 27 minutes to see if any new photo stories have landed in the inbox for the week's Practice Resurrection photo stories post.  This week and next are the final 2 weeks, friends!

Thank you to our wonderful contributors to the weekly Take Up Something New guest posts: 

Reverend David Murphy: Prayer Walk  

Leila from Like Mother, Like Daughter:  The Secret to Braiding Bread

W. David O. Taylor: Move Across the Country (or the world)

from Diary of an Arts Pastor

Laurel Rudd: Plant a Flower Garden

Megan Glennon / Glennon Interiors:  Repurpose Curb-side Trash to Furniture Treasure

Also, don't miss the week I dared you to dance:  12 crowd-pleasing dance moves I dare you to try

We're knee deep in packing boxes here.  Moving in less than a week.  Send your photo stories and make my day, won't you?!?

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Also, each week during Eastertide I'm collecting your photos of practicing resurrection, taking up something new to celebrate our risen Christ who makes all things new.  Share your photo with a caption in 36 words or less at the facebook page for This Sacramental Life.  (See our first week here.)

Read here for details on how to enter a giveaway for your choice of from the motivational print series and the Make print from PJeanArtMachine!

Week 3 is Winner's Choice + Week 2 Winner Announced

Week 3:  YOU PICK
Nothing begets nothing, but something just might beget something really good. 
Print details at PJeanArtMachine on Etsy.

Five motivational prints to give away in four weeks, week three:  Winner's Choice! I've marked the two prints that have already been given away, but this week's winner may select a favorite print from the 7 remaining prints in the series. 

Here's how to enter this week's drawing:

Three easy steps to play along our Practice Resurrection photo story series:

1. Take up something new. (one day or fifty days doesn't matter, just one thing that's new or, maybe just unique with this season)

2. Take a picture and write a description in 36 words or less.

3. Share the photo and the 36 word or less caption with me via email or facebook message by Thursday morning each week of the series.  You are welcome to share a photo story as many weeks as you'd like.

A few more ways to enter the weekly drawing, leave a comment (on this post or the Friday post) every time you: 

• Like This Sacramental Life on Facebook.

• Like The Ambrosium (Phaedra's fan page) on Facebook

• You already liked This Sacramental Life or The Ambrosium on Facebook before the giveaway began?  Go ahead and leave a comment (once per page) and we'll add you to this week's drawing.

• Become an email subscriber to This Sacramental Life 

• Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Google + or Pinterest (use all the cute little icons at the bottom of the post)

On Monday mornings I'll announce the winner from the previous week and reveal the next print to give away.  The last week in May I'll also draw a name from all the entries during the entire series to win this brand-new, not listed yet print from PJeanArtMachine...

Now the winner from week two for the Just Paint print...

............  Rebekah Cummins!

Congratulations and keep painting, Rebekah!

Take Up Something New: repurposing curb-side trash to furniture treasure (Glennon Interiors)

A mild disclaimer:  Megan Hill Glennon is my cousin.  I used to babysit her.  Two reasons to be slightly biased, I suppose.  But if you could walk through her Pennsylvania home, or attend one of the infamous parties she throws at Halloween and New Year's Eve or taste just one of the double-digit dozen homemade bagels she makes at Christmas (using her mama's delicious recipe) you'd see the truth:  this lady's got talent.  Luckily for us, she slowed down her regular ball-of-fire pace during a recent project to capture a step-by-step tutorial for us.  If you live in the mid-Atlantic states, hire her for your repurposing, decorating or event planning projects:  Glennon Interiors on the web; Glennon Interiors on Facebook. (both sites will give you photo peeks into her gorgeous home as well as portfolios of her work) Thank you, Megan!

Turning a curb-side dresser with a missing drawer into a beautiful three-drawer & a shelf dresser

by Megan Glennon, Glennon Interiors

1.  It began as a nasty piece of trash on the side of the road.

2.  The drawers were not in it at the time. When I got it home, I realized there were only three drawers in a four-drawer dresser. After feeling a little bummed for about five seconds, I remembered that I have been wanting to do a dresser project that had a missing drawer so I could make it a shelf and use baskets

3.  Another problem was also this nice little crack on one of the drawer supports. 

4.  A little glue, some finish nails and clamps took care of that problem. Patience is something I'm not good at; however, with my carpenter-husband's voice in my head I waited a good 24 hours. 

It was hard...I have to admit. But worth it.

After 24 hours, the wood was perfect -- sturdy and strong again. 

6.  I took it outside and sanded it down...just to rough it up so it would accept the paint.

7.  I had found this awesome color in the mistints at Lowes for five dollars. Painted away!! I wasn't concerned about full coverage at first because I wanted that old, antiqued chippy paint look, but as i started painting I changed my mind and did a good three coats. More tan time for me, and my six-year-old was helping me so it was good mommy-son time.

8.  While it was drying, I cut my pallets to fit the shelf and gave them a good sanding with my palm sander. 

9.  I put the handles back on. I didn't change anything about those because I loved the antiqued brass.

10.  Before I put the drawers back in, I got out my husband's trusty finish nail gun (which has become my new favorite tool) and nailed the boards down. Looked awesome!

11.  I slid the drawers in and then began the antiquing process for the paint, which for me involes my palm sander. I just rubbed off the edges of all the corners including the drawers. And voila...antiqued!

12.  I wiped it down with a little soapy water to get all the dust off, stood back and enjoyed the view!

Taking something that is trash and of no use to someone else and making it beautiful is my kind of therapy. It just makes me happy. 

Repurposing is such a great feeling!

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Also, each week during Eastertide I'm collecting your photos of practicing resurrection, taking up something new to celebrate our risen Christ who makes all things new.  Share your photo with a caption in 36 words or less at the facebook page for This Sacramental Life.  (See our first week here.)

  Read here for details on how to enter a giveaway for the Just Paint print and the Make print from PJeanArtMachine!