"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering."

Ida Scott Taylor


Thursday, September 30, 2010

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!


 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

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!)
 
 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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!!!
 


Friday, September 10, 2010

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:
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.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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.....

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Had to Share


Just had to share about a class and
a giveaway  that 
Jackie over at 
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
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~