This week we have a guest blogger :) One of my amazing customers, Shiela Pennington, created some Custom Cornhole Boards. I wanted her to share the incredible story of what got her started and how her family is using their boards during a time of social distancing.
Custom Cornhole Boards by Shiela Pennington
My dad always taught me if someone else could do it, I could do it too! Jennifer Ferguson, the owner of Artistic Painting Studio, inspired me to create some custom Cornhole boards. I thought they would make great Christmas gifts.
There were a lot of steps to creating these boards, but the final step was pouring the epoxy. As many of my friends know, I ended up in urgent care because I was severely allergic to epoxy. I didn't know at the time.
Instead, I had fun getting to teach my family what Jenn had taught me, so they could all finish their boards. These custom cornhole boards were so much fun to make and I am looking forward to all the families having fun playing with them for years to come.
Five sets of boards right before Christmas was a wee bit ambitious! At one point, Jennifer looked at flying out to help me, but the flight was over $1000. I couldn’t believe she would even think about flying out to help me. But that's just the type of person she is! If you want to be inspired to be creative with paint, texture medium, foils, epoxy or anything creative, Jennifer is your inspiration!
How does God always know what we need?
For over a year now I have been a member of Jenn's online painting group, Artistic & Creative Inspiration. Excitedly tuning in to see what she was going to teach us every month. Too busy and exhausted to start a project, that was until I saw her create the epoxy corn hole boards!
I knew these would be great Christmas presents. What I didn’t know is that God had used Jenn's calling to prepare me for such a time as this (COVID-19 Quarantine)! My son, a police officer, and his wife, a nurse, are having so much fun with these boards as they social distance and play corn hole! I want to thank Jenn for following her passion and the calling God has on her life to bring joy to my family during this crisis.
My Current Calling...
I have been home since Friday feeling guilty that I should be doing more. Wanting to help serve meals, but knowing that would put my husband at risk and frankly not feeling well enough since I am only 2 1/2 weeks out from having the flu. Listening to Priscilla Shirer (Going Beyond Ministries) reminded me that my calling, for now, is caring for my husband. I am very thankful for this quality time with the man God gave me to love and raise a family with for the past 39 years.
What is your calling? What has God been training you for?
To all moms and dads, I can’t even begin to know how exhausting homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, and even refereeing can be. However, for now, this is your calling. Draw near to God for your strength. Never has it been easier to hear the word of God spoken. I want to give a big shout out to all of you.
As I sit on my porch listening to the birds sing, seeing the beautiful wisteria blooming, my neighbor's yard quiet because she is inside teaching her six children. Later this afternoon she will be in the yard playing sports with them. She is doing this by herself as her husband is an officer and has to go to work every day. I know she doesn’t feel like a rock star mom but In my eyes she is. So to each of you moms and dads that are exhausted, rock the calling God has given you for such a time as this.
To all of you moms, dads, nurses, police officers, garbage collectors, mail carriers, small business owners, and so many more...
I am fervently praying for each of you and your families as you have to continue to work. I am praying for your protection, your strength and that you will continue to heed your call and do it with excellence. You were made for this. I pray you don’t live in fear, I pray for God’s protection for you and yours. I pray that God gives you power for your task.
To those of you that are canceling appointments with small business owners...
Consider paying them anyway as a love gift if you are financially able to.
I also want to give a big shout out...
My children that have done porch drop-offs while I had the flu. Now they are doing porch drop-offs with groceries to keep us protected. Your dad and I love you and we are so blessed that God gave you to us.
Most of all, as we go through this crisis, do it to the best of your ability with kindness and love. One day we will have to give account and we want to hear our Father say “Well Done”.
If you have time during your day, I hope you give this a listen. Give Your Gifts to God by Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer.
Jenn here...
I hope you were as inspired as I was, reading Shiela's story. We are all in this together, and it is nice to know that you are impacting someone's life in such a positive way. Especially during such a dark time in some people's lives. You never know how you impact someone's life, so make sure to tell the people that inspire you that they inspire you. It will make their day!
