First Wednesday Advent Reading

Advent Reading

Isaiah 25:6-10a; Matthew 15:29-37

"With this we are brought to the central mystery of Christmas - not a mystery that is like a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery that is a deep truth to be endlessly explored. "With God all things are possible," Jesus said.  And the deepest of deep truths about Christmas - without which Christmas is just a lovely social custom - is that Mary's baby is God.  He is God incarnate, which means God became one of us, which means he is true God and true man. The challenge to faith is not that he fed so many with so little, or the other astonishing things reported.  The challenge to faith is that he is "Emmanuel, God with us." If that is true, with him all things are possible."

Awaken, O Lord Jesus,

our hearts and minds to your presence in the world of your love's creating.

Forbid that we should stumble through this day oblivious to the wonder in the ordinary.

With your grace, startle us into faith's perception of your continuing creation in our lives.

Amen.

Let it be.

taken from God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas

First Tuesday Advent Reading

Advent Reading

Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 10:21-24

 Jesus said:

 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." 

 Peace is not only possible; it is the gift already given.  Christ gives us his peace by giving us himself, for he is the Prince of Peace...The peace that is ours is not a peace of pretending that things are not as they are; nor is it a peace of being blind to conflict.  It is the peace of faith. Faith is trust in the Prince of Peace.  We neither hold ourselves aloof from the anguish of a conflicted world nor delude ourselves that the resolution of all conflicts is within our power.  In the child of Bethlehem, in the powerlessness of a baby, God entered into our conflicts. 

Heavenly Father, look out for your children who are imperiled by war around us and war within us. Prepare us to welcome the Prince of Peace in his birth at Bethlehem so that in a violent world he may make us instruments of the peace that he gives.

Amen.

Let it be.

Taken from "God with Us"

If you wish to read Monday's post from last year here is a link.

Advent

To the Wonder and Mystery

Advent

The season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.

It is a season set aside to prepare for the mystery we are about to celebrate at Christmas: the arrival of God with us, God incarnate. 

Birth

Wonder

Astonishment

Adoration

"Every year Christmas comes around again and forces us to deal with God in the context of demanding and inconvenient children; gatherings of family members, many of whom we spend the rest of the year avoiding; all the crasser forms of greed and commercialized materiality; garish lights and decorations.  Or maybe the other way around: Christmas forces us to deal with all the mess of our humanity in the context of God who has already entered that mess in the glorious birth of Jesus."

(Eugene Peterson, God With Us)

Birth

Wonder

Astonishment

Adoration

I am choosing the latter.  I am choosing to dwell on the wonder. To be astonished again. To dwell in the mystery. And to adore.  I am choosing to focus on the God who chose to enter my mess.  I may not do it perfectly, but that is where I want to be.

This is the irrational season

When love blooms bright and wild.

Had Mary been filled with reason

There'd have been no room for the child.

(Madeline L'Engle)

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit 
upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do, seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy, seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking light.

To you we say, Come Lord Jesus...

Amen.
(Advent Prayer - Henri Nouwen)


I am re-posting last year's Advent readings. I am going to take a break this Christmas Season, close my studio so to speak, to take extended time to contemplate what this season really means to draw near to Jesus.

I pray you experience God in new exciting ways during this time of waiting... 

Thanksgiving Day

 getting ready for family to arrive

Meg cutting sweet potatoes for fries
she turned 20 today, how can my baby be 20...

 we fried a turkey, so since we had the oil we thought we would 

make some sweet potato fries.  they came out great.

Meg and Jack

the boys 

Molly girl

Jack the cat

we had a beautiful cool, crisp day for gathering

 so many, many things to be thankful for...

hope you all had a wonderful day.

grace and peace

Abiding Monday

I apologize for the length of this, but as I was reading "Allure of Hope" for the second time through I felt the pull to post this.  This wonderful book written by Jan Meyers is a must read for all women.

We put such a burden on ourselves in trying to live the life we think we are called to live.  In doing so I think we miss "real life" in the process.



From Allure of Hope:


You may not know this, but Christianity isn't meant to make you into an efficient, moral woman. Are we meant to change as Christ stuns us with His forgiveness? Absolutely. But the transformation that comes, impacting who we are as women, does so naturally as an afterthought of God's love for us, surprising us as it shows up. Our femininity, our artistry, is transformed - perhaps released is a better word - as our hearts are captured by the goodness of God in the midst of our hard-heartedness. If we attempt to be more feminine - if we strive to make "being a godly, feminine woman" our goal - we end up having the feel of a Barbie doll at a dance. Others around us are fluid and laughing. We are stiff and uninviting."


Recently a group of high-profile Christian women met locally. They were called together by one who is well know for her influential teachings on womanhood. Graciously, she wanted to get a sense of where women's needs were, where the direction of her work should head in order to address those needs. My friend Leigh attended this meeting along with about twenty others. Each woman had a chance to say what she thought was important. Leigh heard them say things like "Women are not disciplined enough. We try so hard to motivate them, but they don't have the skills to structure their lives to benefit from it." Another said, "We need to find a way to convince women they have something to give." Leigh patiently waited as woman after woman spoke of commitment and obligation, cheerleading women into enthusiasm.


Leigh began to deflate. She was becoming disturbed; something grievous was going on here. Then she realized that there was no lack in what was being said. She realized she was hearing everyone speak of being well on their way and needing to find a way to assist those who aren't. Leigh thought, I was a spiritual orphan who found a home in the heart of an older woman who loved me. That's where the love of Christ took root. I come here today with a great need. We all have great need, and we need to meet each other in the heart in order for God's love to take root.


When all had spoken their peace, one woman realized they hadn't heard from Leigh. "Leigh", she asked, "would you like to add something?"


"Yes," Leigh said with misty eyes. "Isn't all of this missing the point? I tried for years to be a dutiful, sacrificial Christian woman, and I always ended up feeling like all the activity was missing the point. I've realized in the last few years that our relationship with God is all about Him finding our hearts, and women are experts at keeping their hearts locked away. How can we know the joy of forgiveness if we don't see how hard our hearts are? How can we respond passionately to pleas for more involvement if our hearts aren't in it? I think we do an incredible disservice to women by adding to their burden rather than meeting them where their hearts are, in what they are thirsty for. Do we want to create women who are more active, or do we want to multiply women who are desperately thirsty for the heart of God?"


The room was silent, the other women remembering their hearts for a moment. It was clear where the beauty was in the room.


It's so very easy to forget our hearts, have you forgotten your heart?

As we head into this season of celebration may we slow down, may we refrain from entering the frenzied pace that has become "normal" this time of year.

When we slow down we realize just how very thirsty we are.


...If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.  (John 7:37, 38)


...but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)


Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters...  (Isaiah 55:1)


Grace and peace

you gotta...

not bragging or anything, well maybe a little...no a lot...but you gotta click this link and see these new photos taken of my two precious grandsons!!

 you gotta, you gotta, you gotta!!!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276471682397037.70478.105050629539144&type=1

sweet memories

caylee ott. a sweet, precious, extremely talented young woman took several photos of meg and i at the little red barn sale.  

you know, i do like seeing myself in pictures.  or mirrors if i am honest.  i have gained so much weight over the past several years and i am unhappy with it.  i know, i know, do something about it.  it's not that easy!! you have to be there mentally too...i think i am getting there.  you have to want to loose the weight more than you want that cookie, or and extra helping of whatever...and until you do it won't work, at least for me.

but in the meantime i have decided to not shy away from the camera.  i would miss too many opportunities to create memories like the photos above.  oh how i would have missed having these photos with my precious daughter.  she does not like to have her picture taken either - wonder where she got that...

and i know so well that who we are, who we really are is not our size...but still...you all know what i am saying.

second day

This large painting sold

as did Meg's big bird painting and a few more...

Trish Land was looking around old Norcross when she and her friends drove by The Little Red Barn Sale.  She owns a boutique in Decatur, Alabama. She stopped in and wanted to purchase several items from several of the artists to take back to her store.  She purchased four original paintings from Meg and I, as well as several framed prints and cards.  

It was hard letting that big heart painting go...it is one of my favorites.  

I want to thank Trish and her friends for stopping by, and for such positive interest and appreciation for our work.  

I am recovering today...came home with vertigo.  This happened to me last year around this time of year.  Thankfully I had some of the medications left and they have helped.  What a bummer of a way to end a fabulous weekend.

Carrie, if you are reading this I think it falls into the category of the letters I purchased from you...lol

Much love to all of you...and thanks for all the good wishes and prayers for a successful weekend.

guess who i got to meet?

boy was it cold when we left the house today to head out to the little red barn sale...34 degrees.

it did warm up to around 60, but it was quite windy and chilly for most of the day.

and guess who i got to meet?

Jane Royal of Painted Heart Studio  

i love meeting blogging buddy's! especially ones as special as Jane

and Meg was there.  she called thursday and said she was coming home for the weekend

she is standing next to some of her beautiful work.

we will be back for day two tomorrow.

life collage

Teri Morse at Comfort Cottage posted her "life collage" a few weeks ago.  I asked her if I could copy it and use it as an example in my workshops.  She graciously said yes.  

I gave the ladies instructions last week so they could gather materials to do the collage this week.  

Oh my gosh, I love this!  I completed mine today.  Mine covers the last several years and the journey I have been on.  I used images that I have previously used and well as journal pages. I then flipped through several magazines and cut out words that spoke to me.  I loved the process and the outcome.  Every time I look at it I see something more.

Teri thank you for letting me share this wonderful idea. It has been an amazing exercise to do.

respite

this was the view from our room at snowbird mountain lodge

it's an annual trip greg and i take

it was much needed this year

now to finish getting ready for the little red barn sale this weekend in norcross

if you are local, please stop by