fresh & new hope

Last year was the first year that I had heard about picking a "word of the year."   Lately I have heard of several people taking on a word of the year instead of a New Year's Resolution.  "Go" was an obvious choice, last year  after reading Follow Me by David Platt.  However, this year, I didn't have a clue what it should be or even if I should tackle the idea again.  Life's busy enough without adding something else. But then I thought, life's busy and I need something to remind me of what's important. 
I began reading Friends of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury just after Christmas.  Without going into a whole book review about it; I really liked it.  There were many things about the stories that I hadn't known about. Several times I went to my Bible to check the validity of the details in the story.  The author was spot on.  I realized that I needed to be more deeply studying the Word.  Otherwise, I might be missing even more details.
The last story was of the Disciple John and how arrogant he was about his friendship with Jesus. His story spoke of many occasions including when Jesus washed the disciples feet in the upper room.  The next day I was reading 1Peter and it mentioned water again.  This time it related the flood to the cleansing of baptism.
Fresh.  New.  Isn't that what we all think of at the beginning of the year.  Technically, life just continues the same with the flip of the calendar, but we hope for something new.  We have that chance at something new each and every day.  He tells us this in His Word that His mercy is new every day (Lamentations 3:23). This truth is something I need to keep at the forefront of my attitude each day.  Today is new.  I can choose to think and act like the world is a desperate place and that it's hard to survive as a Christian woman/mom or I can choose to know that I am a Christian woman/mom who lives in a desperate world that needs Christ.
In the middle of writing this entry I stopped several times to reflect and come back to my writing.  During a quick trip to the store I got goosebumps when I heard the Proverbs 31 radio spot for the day.  I can't remember if it was Lysa Terkeurst or Renee Swope, either way it was exactly what I was just feeling in the writing before this.  She even quoted this verse! This is where you see God whacking me with a nice pine 2 by 4 
So, how can I argue with a word like "NEW?"  I can't. Obviously.  It's Spirit led.  Those moments that you wonder if it's coincidence or God.  It's God.  My feeling is that there are no coincidences in life, there are moments where you glimpse God.  It makes me all tingly just thinking about it.
I haven't, yet, done a page in my journaling Bible or art journal to reflect this word, but I will be sure to share as soon as I do.  Most of my endeavors end up on my Instagram, which is where I saw a post from Natalie Elphinstone, of the Illustrated Faith team.  She had done a circular pattern that I really loved, but it looked too involved and tedious.  So I just put it away as an impossibility.  That was until I was working on painting letters with my 4 year old.  Scento paint dabbers are circular and bright and perfectly wonderful smelling!  Eureka!  Circles in my Bible here I come!

My preschooler's collection only included red, blue, green, and orange and I wanted to add a little more than four colors.  Enter acrylics. 
I drew circles on lines that I measured and penciled in starting from the center of the page, moving to the outer edge.  The I used the Scento paint markers to color in the circles in the areas that worked best.  Then I added the yellow and purple colors in acrylic paint with a stiff brush similar to a stencil brush.  A gentle touch was needed because of the stiff stencil brush, the page came close to ripping in a few spots.

A tag was added with the phrase, "When you are in the storm...remember His promises."  The covenant and ensuing rainbow from God to Noah served as a reminder that God would not destroy us but give us a second chance.  That second chance was Christ.  We have 365(366 this year) chances to reflect Christ each day this year.  The world needs it.  I need it.  What word are you reflecting this year.  Share what you are focusing on this year in the comments below.

soaring through Christmas

The holiday season is chaotic. Cookie swaps, MOPS Christmas, Christmas tea, school programs (times 4), decorating the home, decorating the church.  Your calendar probably looks very similar. 
With all the busyness, we can miss the real joy.  Joy that comes in the fellowship, the food, the entertainment.  The first day of my Advent study suggested that I rest, really!?  That imperfection is not even noticeable!?  That's crazy talk!  Or is it?
The month of December also bring with it some bittersweet memories for me.  My brother would be turning 39 on December 2nd, but he took his life 16 years ago.  The thought of him, my mother-in-law, and grandparents missing out on the fun of our young children enjoying life makes our hearts ache a little.  Christmas has been in a transition mode for several years now.  The matriarch of the family is gone.  My parents moved during the last two winters.  Many of the "kids" in the family are now getting married and changing their traditions.  It leaves me wondering what traditions do I really need to cling to and why. 

The last two years I have taken the time to still myself and read through the Gospels during Advent.  This year I purchased an Advent study from Naptime Diaries and am following along with the Illustrated Faith community for #illustratedadvent.  Taking time to reflect on His Word and create something for myself helps me to put everything into perspective.
I am blessed.  Blessed with the hope that one day I may be able to introduce my brother and mother-in-law to the children they didn't know in this life.  Blessed to have a Savior that is also my King.  Blessed to have the hope of a better tomorrow because He carries me through.
Before the craziness of the season took over I got the opportunity to create a page in my Bible based on that hope.  The song "Soar" by Meredith Andrews is amazing!  I got to see her perform a few years ago with James McDonald and the  "Walk In The Word" tour.   As she was about to perform "Can Anybody Hear Me," she talked about the silence she felt during a time in her life where she was distant from God.  What she said really related to the famine I was going through then, as well.  Feeling like God wasn't listening and was nowhere to be found.  But He was.  He was right there waiting for me to press into Him a little closer and to give Him the troubles I was going through.  I was an instant fan. 
So when her newest single, "Soar," came across the radio I was listening intently.  "I know in everything You're with me.  I know You're working as I wait.  Lift me up on wings like eagles to soar."  She gets me.  We must be soul sisters.  I had to get it out in paint!

The passage in Isaiah 40:31 says it the same, "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will run and not grow faint."  If we choose to put our hope in Christ then we can rise above all the small stuff that can weigh us down. 
This time of year is notorious for unnecessary stress.  We try to do it all and to a memory making Norman Rockwell standard.  I am deciding to choose hope and soar above all the chaos.  I will still make cookies and attend endless concerts, but I will choose to be fully present rather than just barely there. Soaring through the fun and festivities!

Side note: After pondering all of this God sent the message home loud and clear through this devotional today.  Amongst the froot loops and backpacks He speaks.

Open the Bible and point method.

Have you ever challenged God to do that?  "I'm going to open my Bible and the first verse that pops out will tell me how to solve all of life's problems."  Yeah, right. 



Jeremiah 29:11

When there is a problem at work, you go to your supervisor.  When the kids need help dealing with a situation at school they go to Mom or Dad.  Naturally, we look to our Maker for help when we are without answers.   Is there a Bible verse that has spoken to you during a trying situation?  A special passage that moved you when you needed it most. 

During our Sunday Bible class, several believers said that it was hard for them to want to read the Bible on a daily basis.  However, they also admitted that when they were faced with hard circumstances they turned to His Word for help. 

God tells us that we are to come to Him for peace and assistance in times of trials.  David did it over and over.  If you have read any of the Psalms you will know that many of them are requests for help.  Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and it's very insightful into how we can use the Word.  "Let my tongue sing of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.  Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts."  The Psalmist is telling me that he has relied on the Lord and studied His word, so he is confident that the Lord will help him.

So where have you found comfort and guidance?  Have you found words or art that adequately express the emotion you have for that verse?  Be blessed and let His Word speak to you today.

Do you consider your doodles art?

I have not, personally,  run in to many negative thoughts concerning Bible journaling.  However, I have read some comments from other journalers who have run in to some adversity.  One mom even asked fellow facebook journalers if it would be okay to let her daughter create art in her Bible just like her mom.
There is no right or wrong way to worship our God is there?  We are told in Colossians 3:17, "whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."   We all have different ways to enjoy our time with the Lord.  As a mom, I also have many different obstacles in my schedule that prevent me from having a structured time to be with God. 
There are three girls and one boy in my care.  As parents, one of our mains goals is to nurture their spiritual growth.  Including my kids in Bible journaling and creating art is so much fun.  My girls, especially, love to draw, paint, and color.  Sitting around our craft table working together is precious to me.  Not only are they learning to color code their Bibles, but also a few Scriptures.

Children's Bibles are illustrated.  Many classical pieces of art are Biblically based.  What would this world be without inspiration?!  We marvel at Michaelangelo's beautiful murals at the Sistine Chapel.  Maybe, one day, our children will marvel at the insightfully beautiful drawing we made in our Bibles.  Go ahead, color in your Bibles. 

Even when devastation hits

My brother, Chris, with the chancellor
at West Dean College, UK. (1999)

On August 13th of 1999 my brother, Chris, decided he could no longer suffer the emotional heartache of depression.  He was a talented and ambitious young man of 22 years, who had just graduated from the prestigious West Dean College in Chichester, England.  Chris had studied there as a violin maker, a luthier.  He was facing many life changing decisions and was told, by his then girlfriend, that she would not move to America with him.
On a weekend while my parents where out of town, Chris was buying a gun and making plans for someone to check on him.  My husband and I suspected he was hurting and tried to invite him to our home while my parents were away, but he was an adult; he was allowed to make his own choices.  He chose to end his hurt by ending his life.   
My parents felt they could no longer live steps away from where my brother took his life.  They took all the tools and belongings my brother had shipped over from England to a new home.  The boxes sat for 14 more years in a barn.  After deciding to move again  they asked me to find a home for the tools, wood, and various luthier items that had once belonged to my brother.  During the latter part of 2014, I asked all my musician friends, charity organizations, and a local violin shop if they would want my brothers things.  No charge!   No one wanted them.  No one really seemed to care.  It was a little unsettling and sad.
My parents and I have come to a point where we can move along with life where the happy days out number the sad ones.  However, being people of faith, we have always wondered what God had planned when He knew this would happen.  Don't get me wrong.  We never blamed God.  My brother was a growing young Christian who wanted us to know he had made peace with God before this all took place.  But the whole tragedy left us wondering "why."   I imagine anyone in our circumstances has the same questions.  Many people struggle the rest of their lives with these sorts of questions and never feel peace.  We may not have gotten an answer, but I do feel like we have found some peace.  My brother's death allowed us to help friends and family who are dealing with the suicide of a loved one or friend.  But these tools in my garage just seemed wasted.  Then I got an email from my oldest daughter's orchestra teacher.
On December 31, 2014, a young father by the name of Shad Peters, of Peters Guitars, had a devastating fire in his shop.  Shad is, by my perception, a God-fearing talented artist who was being refined by this fire.  From the things I had read from his family and friends, his dreams and 10 years of hard work had, literally, gone up in smoke.  The insurance company told him that they would only be able to cover the costs of the garage structure and the personal property he had in the garage/shop; like his computer and stereo.  None of his tools, hand made instruments and accessories, power equipment, and hand-picked wood would be covered by the insurance.  The total estimation of replacement would total over $70,000!
There are fundraising efforts under way at Go Fund Me, but how will he replace all the time and struggle?  That's where we as fellow humans step in and take on some of the load.  God tells us to bear each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2).  Most of the time, it's not a burden to whoever takes on a little bit of someone else's load.  It's a blessing.  When I read about the plight of Shad's family I was grinning ear to ear and bouncing in my chair.  "This is it, this is it!" is all I could think.
I was able to contact Shad by email and find out if he would like my brother's wood, hand tools, forms, and other luthier items that had been stored for over 15 years (picture right).   He immediately sent back a message that he would love to come get them and would make arrangements to be here the next day!  He lives about 65 miles north and needed to borrow a truck to come get the crates and boxes that were still packed the way they were the day they left England. 
Let me just say; you should never invite a stranger to come to your house without some kind of plan.  I researched Shad's story and felt he was a reputable person, but I still let my neighbor and husband know the details of the event.  However, I think Shad was more nervous than I was.  Who wouldn't be?  I felt like I was on the blessing end of the deal.  He was probably feeling vulnerable and nervous going to someone's home and not knowing what would happen when the door opened.  Too many bad Craig's list stories where going through my mind (and probably his). 
After we introduced ourselves I showed him to the garage and opened each of the boxes.  There were lots of tools and wood to show him and lots of  questions about the things that were totally foreign to me.  I grabbed some drawings for a violin design out of the biggest crate before it was last on the truck. 
We talked for a moment about the way all this came together and I came away in total awe at how God planned it all!  I hope to one day be able to visit his new shop. My mother was glad to know that I had found the perfect home for all the beloved items she held tight for so many years. 
I believe that it helps the heart to heal when you can help someone else through your own pain.  We have to bear our souls sometimes.  It's a vulnerability that is totally scary, but so worth it!  Be blessed by being a blessing.

Practice Fun

Finding items for my Bible journaling that are already made for that purpose are very limited.  At least I thought so at first.  I felt like I should follow the online protocol of examples that have been shown over and over.  Sticker, washi tape, and pen.  Then I discovered that many others are inventing their own style while discovering their love for the lord.

I recently made a trip to my local Hobby Lobby and found several choices for faith themed stickers and sticker packs.  This will work nicely, but they are limited in their color choice.  Most of them are chalkboard style or black and white.

You can find tons of alpha stickers just about anywhere that carries paper crafting supplies.  Pens of all sorts can be located at any office supply store or big box store.  Washi tape is starting to appear just about everywhere.  Colored pencils can be bought anywhere you get school supplies.  The basics are pretty bountiful everywhere.

Then there are the artists that can just whip out a beautiful drawing of a pregnant mother riding a donkey and you can actually tell what you are seeing.  These works of art are moving.  They tell the story without even reading the passage from which they are inspired.  I can't do that.  I am not a natural artists, but I am practicing. 

Over and over I have heard, "Practice makes perfect."   I just have to sit down and practice.  I am beginning with a book I checked out from the library, The Art of Whimsical Lettering, by Joanne Sharpe.  Joanne teaches in a step-by-step way how to create beautiful lettering by just writing in your own handwriting.  So far, I have been very happy with the progress that I have made by doing the exercises in the book.

Next, I hope to tackle a book that is intended for children, but I feel would work for my needs.  I had picked up a discounted You Can Draw by Parragon publishers at Marshall's recently. 

When I have a few spare moments, I grab a drawing journal that I keep with these books and sit down with my younger children to draw and color.  The other day, as we lit our Advent candle I asked them to draw what they thought of when they heard the words joy, peace, love, and hope.  While they did this I wrote out some words in my journal. 

I want my children to be part of my growing process and to have fun WITH ME.  I so often, get caught up doing chore after chore and I don't get time to enjoy.  This is one of the few things that we can sit peacefully and explore something together.  We talk about what each of us are doing and why.  It's fun to hear the explanation of a preschoolers drawing. 


Sit down and practice having fun with your children this week.  It may just spark your creativity.  If nothing else, it will spark your relationship with them.