Wait Until You Hear What You've Been Given

In the midst of my yet another busy week,

  with an art booth in another festival this coming weekend, 

I just had to take some time out

to relax by working in my art journal.

Thank you Mary
  for encouraging me to enjoy the 
wonderful process of art journaling. 
If you haven't already, go over and meet Mary at her
A Splended Adventure blog.  
She is quite the inspiration as a friend and person,
as well as through her beautiful creations.

♥-♥-♥-♥-♥-♥

I am back to reading and art journaling on
Beth Moore's 
book called
So Long Insecurity.
All I can say is:
IT IS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!

Click on my art journal page once to bring up the 
entire picture, and twice to see it up close.

I'm not able to take much time tonight to talk about

chapter nine, but hopefully my art journal page here will

intrigue you to come back on Monday 

when I will write more about our

God-given dignity.

It is unbelievable how much we give up

when we let the insecure thoughts become truth

in our lives.

YOU have a crown placed on your head by the

Creator Himself.  

So just ponder that for a few days

and come back on Monday, when we will 

ponder and celebrate some more.

I promise that you will feel like a princess

once you hear what God has promised to YOU. 

So get your hair all fixed up

and your make-up on and meet me

back here on MONDAY.

Just wait until you see how 

Special You Are!

♥
 

A Little Slice of Adventure!

Just wanted to let you all know that I 

haven't forgotten about you.

You are all way too special to me to forget! 

  I've been busy creating and creating for an 

art festival that I am a vendor in, coming up this 

weekend and the next.  I've not had much time to visit

with you all 

or to put up many blog posts either.

I miss writing and I miss You!

Our daughter Jaymie came to visit us this past weekend

and when that happens the camera always comes out!

 

  

So this is a quick post I'm leaving today

so I can get back to creating. 

(Although, I'm not sure how to do the quick thingy)

I've not done this vendor thing before so

 I'm a little apprehensive but loving the idea of

trying a new adventure.  It's part of what makes 

life so fun and interesting.

I'm acting out of obedience

to my  "Action" word that I committed to

during my 2010 new year.

That is why, even if I don't sell one creation, I can still

pat myself on the back and be proud that I 

stuck to my commitment and tried something new.

Wow, it sounds like

I'm giving myself my own pep talk here!

Really though, my wish for you my friends,

is that you too, will

not hold back because of fear of failure! 

 My new "Pumpkin Patch"

original watercolor pendant creation

 

"People go farther 

than they thought they 

could when someone thinks they can."

John C. Maxwell

......and I know..... YOU CAN!!!!

Do something new today, or this week!  Do something

you've never done before.

Even if it's as small as

trying a new recipe or taking a walk outside

on a new path 

you haven't stepped before. 

 "Star light. Star bright.

                     Look up at the sky tonight

and breathe in some of that

      magical stardust.

            Don't worry - it won't  

                                   make you sneeze."

         Cheryl Hawkinson  

On to Adventure!

(see, I told ya I didn't know how to do the quick thingy!)

 

 

Quiet Refreshment

Every now and then,

I will take a few hours away by myself

to refresh my mind, body and soul.

Quabache State Forest is less than a mile

from the town I live in. So 

this past weekend I went to one of my

favorite spots.

 

Hubby was busy studying for his classes
and watching football.

He can do both at the same time well,
or so he tells me. (he he)

I just love walking down the paths and

sitting in this little area to take in the beauty of

God's creation all around me.

It was indeed a very beautiful day!

 

When I am here I can loose all stress and 

bunched up thoughts in my head.  When we quiet

our minds, it is amazing at what

we see and hear

that we had not noticed before. 

How about you? How do you refresh

your mind, body and soul?

I had never noticed until this day

that geese will stand for a long period of

time on one leg.

Many of the geese were doing this.

  I'm not sure if they are sleeping or what?

Does anyone out there know why they do this?

 

 I just googled it! 

In case you're curious like me.

Birds’ legs have an adaptation called “rete mirabile” that minimizes heat loss. The arteries that transport warm blood into the legs lie in contact with the veins that return colder blood to the bird’s heart. The arteries warm the veins. By standing on one leg, a bird reduces by half the amount of heat lost through unfeathered limbs.

 

I always bring along my reading and writing materials.

I can hear God speaking to me

so easily out here

and I just 

have to write it all down.

 

Along with art and music,

writing is another favorite thing 

of mine that I love.. I've gone back and read

journal entries from years ago and have been blown

away by how many of my prayers, hopes and dreams 

 have come true since I first asked for them.

Sometimes we just plain forget or maybe

we just forget to believe that what we are hoping for

  and  asking for might come true!

I have have cried grateful tears many times when

I've reread and found that God answered

my prayers 

  which I prayed to Him back then.

  A journal is kind of like keeping

a Grateful List, without realizing you are doing so.

While I was reading I found this scripture verse

that jumped out with passion into my mind and heart.

"I run in the paths of your commands

for you have set my heart free."

Psalm 119:32

It didn't say I walk, it says I run down the path that

God has given me, because my heart is free.

 Free with no baggage clinging to my backside to hold me back!

Isn't that wonderful?  

When we just decide to

"let go" 

of all of that baggage

such as fear, worry, unforgiveness etc... 

then we will run the greatest race of our lives~

straight down the path to the

dreams God has placed in our hearts!

And when we are running down that path, it also

affects others who are watching and it inspires them

to join in on what

  God has planned for them too.

  

I really want to know what refreshes you?

What do you do for yourself to rejuvenate?  

 I hope you get to take some time out to 

find your perfect spot....

.....to do something for YOU

  ...to renew your passions.

Because it really does make a Big difference.

Gotta go get my running clothes on!!!

 

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

My little 

Sunshine Song birdie

is all finished. 

I hope she makes you happy

and spreads some 

sunshine and smiles your way.

I know it made me happy just creating her.

I was so reluctant

to write out the words onto the painting

for fear of making a big ole' boo boo. But then...

I put on my Brave Girl pants 

and did it anyway!

Special things happen 

when you are Brave.  

Not only on the outside or with what

you are making or doing

but on the inside too!

Especially on the inside.

"You always pass failure

on the  road to success."

~Mickey Rooney~

Slowly but surely, I am learning

to trust the journey. How about

YOU my friend,

are you being too hard on yourself?

  Are you afraid to move for fear

of making a big ole' boo boo?

A lesson I learned when painting this

little birdie was that some of my mistakes ended 

up making the painting even better than

 if I had I not boo booed!  Out of what

 I thought was

imperfection, I learned a better technique.

(or at least I call it a technique. It worked for me! he he)

"And the time came when

the risk to remain tight in the bud

was more painful than the risk 

it took to blossom." 

~Anais Nim~

Is there something in your life that you 

are letting keep you stuck? Afraid to move

this way or that? 

Oh my goodness I understand!

I've been there plenty 

of times and I'm sure there will be plenty more,

but we were created by a wonderful God

who made us to be 

Brave and Confident.

(we were created in his image)

Whoa, isn't that awesome!

"Have no fear of sudden

disaster, ( like failure)

for the Lord will be your confidence."

Proverbs 3:25-26

Remember this because it is very important: 

"You are a masterpiece, hand stitched,

handcrafted, and hand chosen

by the Creator

of all that is lovely."

Max LuCado

I'm liking this BRAVE GIRL thing!

IT Even makes me want

to click my heels in the air. 

I'll need your hand if I try that though!

Care to join me?

WE can click our heels in glee

and be BRAVE GIRLS together.

Big sunshiny HUGS,

Oh and here is a great tip:  if you haven't already

done this, go and check out this wonderful blog:

http://bravegirlsclub.com/blog/?cat=3

I get these daily Brave Girl
 emails from Melody Ross and her sister Kathy 

at Brave Girls Club and they 
are so inspiring and encouraging.

Unbelievably encouraging.

Keeping A Song In My Heart

Creating is one of my biggest stress relievers

and something that gives me so much pleasure.  But

along with creating, I also LOVE MUSIC!! 

"Music is what feelings sound like."

author unknown

 

I had some fun tonight and began painting

a little songbird.  She isn't finished yet, but I

would like for YOU to give me some more 

ideas on what to add to her.

I added the little song hat for fun.  I still need to 

do some more work on the background flowers but

also think the little singer needs something more???

Maybe an idea popped into your head just now.

Please oh please, share it with me. 

I am sure that I have loved music

  ever since coming out of the womb!

  I remember my mother singing and humming

around the house when I was a little girl.  Sometimes she

would even dance a little jig while drying the dishes. 

And she could really play the piano.  She

had an illness that caused her a lot of a pain and 

heart ache, but when she was singing or playing music

she always wore a Smile..... and

that made me smile and want to sing too.

My mom and dad and me

I remember my grandmother 

having me and my two

younger sisters sing in church when we no older 

than 8, 6 and 5...and our background

music was a record on a record player that

she brought from home!  Isn't that funny?

Then my grandfather would bribe us by

paying us each a quarter

  for singing to the relatives or any company

that stopped by for a visit. Actually, we were

still doing this for our grandpa, not only as those young tots, 

but even when we were in high school!!!!

  Not because of the quarter

(although he still gave us one),

but because we couldn't say no to seeing him

so happy when we sang for him.

 I married my hubby who LOVES music also.

He sings special music numbers with me at church

and we both

sing with our church Worship Team.

Naturally our daughters love music too,

after being a part of

all of those sing-a-longs in the car

when they were growing up.

Music soothes my soul, and can also motivate me

to break out in a little jig around the house!

I've always thought, if only teachers would

put everything to music,

such as math problems, then

I would have been a real whiz in school!!! he-he.

(oh my! I'm probably dating myself here)

Does anyone say  the word "whiz" anymore?

How about you? 

What tricks do you do to de-stress

or simply enjoy?

Really, I want to know.

Oh and thank you for letting me go on an on

about my life and music and for

 reading clear to the end of this post and

not getting bored.

Wow! You must really like me! he-he

I'm singing about you..... can you hear me?

YOU are my Sunshine,

my many Sunshines.

YOU make me Happy when skies are gray.....

Had to Share

Just had to share about a class and

a giveaway  that 

Jackie over at 

"Me, Down To A Fine Art

is having.  She is giving away

a free entrance to

this fun class from Carla Sonheim.

All you have to do is go over to Jackie's blog

and leave a comment on her

August 29th post.

Hurry, because she is picking

a name out of the hat tomorrow!

I don't know about you, but I can always

use more fun and silliness in my days.

We were suppose to be traveling to spend

this weekend with our daughter, son-in-law and 

grandchildren in Pennsylvania but the plans 

changed. (just felt a tear drop)  I'm a little bummed about 

not getting to give out all of those 

hugs and kisses that

I've been saving up for them. 

Anyway, I am bound and determined

to enjoy this Labor Day Weekend anyway

and I hope you will too!

Here's to fun and silliness

for YOU this weekend!

~Enjoy~