Abiding Monday

The Spirit of God...has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

Announce freedom to all captives,

pardon all prisoners. 

Isaiah 61:1 (The Message)

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,

his merciful love couldn't have dried up.

They're created new every morning.

How great is your faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:22-23 (The Message)

Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 (NKJV) 

I  love Psalm 51: 7-15  in The Message so much I must post it here.

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breath holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to
your life-giving ways.  Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise.



Brokenness


You are feeling brokenhearted and bound: entangled in webs of discouragement. Pick up the pieces of your broken heart - scattered all around you - and bring them to Me. Place them on the white linen cloth I provide, and wait in My healing Presence. Sit still in My holy Light while I cleanse you from binding webs of discouragement. Look into My Face and see the great Love I have for you. Because My Love is limitless, I never run out of compassion. When you feel on the brink of giving up, remind yourself of My great faithfulness: I never give up on you!


Though your disappointment is real, My Presence with you is even more real. Stay close to Me as I work on mending your broken heart. Of course, your repaired heart will not be exactly as it was before, but in some ways it will be much better. Your renewed heart - stripped of its cherished hopes - will have more space for Me.  (Jesus Lives, by Sarah Young)


One thing I must say here too, is that God did not create us to live in isolation. We are not meant to walk this journey alone.  He is in himself community.  God uses others to help heal. Others are his arms to reach out to hold those in need of it. Hands to help when needed. Feet to move when needed.

I have been in a place of despair before, of feeling utterly alone. But as long as the sun rises another day, there is HOPE...God's mercies are new every morning...they are!!!

It's easy for me to say this now...out of the darkness, out of the pit...not so much when you are in it..

Please don't give up, please don't give in to the darkness.

Reach out.

There is the other side of what you may be experiencing.  God can and will bring you through, not always over...sometimes we have to experience every inch of the heartache.

And as Sarah Young said, "your heart will not be exactly as it was before, but in some ways it will be much better..."

And as it leaves more space for God, it leaves life experiences that enable you to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others.

Grace and Peace

crazy quilt

I think I am finished with this. I still have mixed feelings about it. Sometimes I look at it and

love it, other times not so much. But I will live with it and get to know it a little better.

Sorry about the glare on the left side of the photo, I need to get better at taking these.

Hope you all have a great weekend...I have a busy one coming up!

Grace and Peace

new driver in the house

This little guy just cracks me up and continues to amaze me at the same time.  You should see him drive this around our yard.  He goes up and down the small hills, turns, goes backwards, and really does it very well.

I also wanted to show you the beautiful journal I received in the mail last week. Jane at Painted Hearts Studio showed all her lovely journals a few weeks ago. They were beautiful and I suggested she make some for sale. Pop over and encourage her do so...they really are lovely.

from journal to canvas

I liked my journal page so much I painted it on canvas. I was out of heavy body white paint so the cross became turquoise instead. I am not sure if I like the over spray of the spray paint. I might have to fix that. And now that I see it here, I wonder if the letters should be another color???

unplanned goodies from an art studio

Here is the watch I splattered with paint, kind of fun don't you think...

I usually put a piece of paper or folder behind the page I am painting in my journal to keep the

previous page from getting paint on it.  This cross was made from a folder I had used multiple times.

A few new journal pages

Greg and I visited Meg last weekend. We visited a few areas she has not been to yet.  I know she loves college and is doing great, but each times she leaves here after a visit, or we leave her there, my heart catches a bit...

I brought along two of my journals, one mostly completed, one in the process. It was fun to look back over the older one. I even doodled some and wrote more.  That's one of the neat things about visual journals, they are never really finished...like us.

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day painting backgrounds.  I love to have them prepared and ready to be journaled on.

I also realized something else. I don't really have a one "style" when I do these.  Some are busier than others. I love the "graffiti" looking ones, but they leave less room to write, and sometimes I have more to say.  I used to worry about that...not having one particular style...getting better about that...

Oh, I have one watch I wear when I paint because I got paint on it.  Last night I painted the whole dagone thing...it's kind of cool if you like that sort of thing, and I do. I'll take a picture later.

Abiding Monday

Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been

or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.

Acts 4:12 MSG

Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time.

James 4:8 MSG

And whoever calls out for help to me, will be saved.

Acts 2:21 MSG

The Lord make His face to shine upon and 

enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and

giving favor) to you. The Lord lift up His [approving]

countenance upon you and give you peace

(tranquility of heart and life continually).

Numbers 6:25-26 AMP

INVITE ME INTO YOUR THOUGHTS BY

WHISPERING MY NAME; SUDDENLY YOUR DAY

BRIGHTENS AND FEELS MORE USER-FRIENDLY.

When you speak My Name in loving trust, you sense My

Presence and feel yourself drawing closer to Me.

There is great Power in My Name: Simply whispering "Jesus"

can turn a hard day into a good one. By calling My Name

frequently, you acknowledge your continual need of Me.

And when you pray My Name, you are actually calling upon

My very Being. I joyfully respond to your invitation by coming

 nearer to you.

I am pleased by your desire to rely on Me in ordinary moments

as well as in the big events of your life. When you whisper

My Name, I respond not only to your neediness but also to

your love. As you look to Me, My Face shines upon you in

radiant approval - brightening your day and helping you

feel secure.

Jesus Lives, by Sarah Young

Could it really be that easy?  

He says it is!

playing in the studio today listening to Matthew's CD

in the process of change

debut CD

I wanted to share with you all a wonderful CD.  

Matthew is one of the pastors and worship leader at my church.

Written in the inside cover is this, 

"God is in the winepress treading us with kindness crushing us in love."

"Once in a while music comes out that truly catches you off guard with it's sheer power, and In The Winepress, the debut effort from Matthew Browne, does just that. Pushing boundaries and exploring new aspects of worship music, these tracks bravely echo both honesty and reverence at the same time. Void of the standard one line shallow rhymes, this album opens more questions about what it means to follow Jesus then it provides answers inviting the listener into the struggle. A sound that is perfect in it's imperfection, it feels as human as it does inspired. For anyone holding onto faith in the face of doubt, this beautiful picture of hope will be music for the journey! " Andrew Morgan  Founder, Broken Voices

to read more stop by Matthew's website

oh, the barn photos on the CD...were taken at my house.  

Unfailing Love

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be 

removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be 

shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," 

says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 

Isaiah 54:10

A bruised reed he will not break, 

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Isaiah 42:3

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord

with all your heart and mind and do not rely on

your own insight or understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 AMP

Do not be anxious about anything, but in

everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God. And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding, will guard your

hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Brokenness

Your weakness and brokenness draw me ever so near you. You can open up to Me because I understand your perfectly. My compassion for you is overflowing. As you open yourself to My healing Presence, I fill you with Peace that transcends understanding. So stop trying to figure everything out. Instead, lean on Me, letting your head rest on My chest. While you rest, I will be watching over you and all that concerns you.

Trust Me in the depths of your being, where I live in union with you. My healing work in you is most effective when you are actively trusting Me. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing Love for you will not be shaken. This is the essence of My compassion for you: No matter how desperate your circumstances, the one thing you can always count on is My unfailing Love.

(from Jesus Lives, by Sarah Young)

Valentine's Day.  

For some a wonderful day to celebrate, for some it's a hard day.

There is a love that never fails, there is a love that never ends.

Jesus

Real love

Unfailing love

Lasting love

sometimes waiting is what is needed

I finally got back to this piece.  

It had been waiting. 

I worked on it a bit now and then but was never happy with the outcome.  

It needed a little more waiting...

I was just adding scrapes of paint to it this morning and was very pleased with the results.  When I scraped some black paint over the pink sides and top the colors on the body just popped.  

I think the waiting has passed.

finished??

this ended up being a huge journal page

I wonder, is this the first painting for the new studio, a place

for women to come and explore their hearts, to learn that

yes, they are creative...every single on of them...

every single one of you

I wrote portions of a song written by Mark Tedder

It Takes Faith

It takes faith, to know that I'm forgiven

It takes faith, to see beyond reason

It takes faith, faith to move the mountains in our lives

It takes hope, hope to see tomorrow

It takes hope to see beyond the sorrow

It takes hope, to wait for the answer

It takes love, love to love your neighbor

It takes love, that never surrenders

It takes love, to finish what you've started in us...

and the next

is it really 3:46pm??

leftovers for dinner tonight!

next

Next layer

I think I will take photos of each step...should be interesting.

I have a little secret...remember my dream of having a place outside

my home for my studio, and a place to have workshops and for women

to have a place to get away and create??  Well I had some fellows out

this morning looking at an existing barn on our property.  

Steps...

I am jumping up and down!!!!!!

first strokes

Did you see this large canvas at the back of the room when I posted photos of my studio a few posts back?
It's 40x60. This is just the first layer, first strokes. I have no idea what the finished piece will look like.
Part of me wants to keep it simple, but as I look at it on this screen I see collaged pieces scattered across, with more color, doodles, words...will see.

Grace and peace to you.

around the house

just a few photos of the dining room

love this new tablecloth,

and love this little corner of the room.

I needed something tall in the corner so I stacked these crates...

don't the colors go great with my painting and that great cross?

and love Mr. Moon, created by Suzan Buckner I have

several of her pieces and love each and every one of them.

My journal group comes tomorrow, maybe I'll remember to take

some pictures...

Finished for now...

I'm really liking the love seat here.

It's cluttered, but as long as it is neat I like it.

Below is where the bookshelf was.

And though it will be harder to get to the books, 

I love the look of this cozy place.

see previous two post for this journey...

Warning...

Do not store tons of books on cheap bookcases!!

I tried to slide it down just an itsi bitsi bit to fit the love seat in and...I guess I have more organizing to do!! 

But you know when your creating a piece of art and you make a boo boo and the finished piece ends of being better because of it?? I am believing this will be the case as well. 

See, you guys are keeping me company while cleaning...see previous post.

Tell me...

how one can work in this mess??

I have kept this door closed since Saturday.  

Saturday I had another visual journaling workshop at my church. 

The amount of stuff I cart each time seems to grow.

I had to laugh, see the Bose sitting on the table?  

  It's one of the first models - we have had it a long time. 

One of the younger women said, what is that??  

Yes it's old, but some old things still work.  :)

So today, this is what I will be doing.

Once I get started I get excited about getting organized.

It's always about the getting started isn't it??

That first step is one I struggle with...in many areas.

See you on the other side of this mess.

yes it does...