Change - {Inspired Quotes}

A little playing around with images and words for Kim's word prompt "change"...the quote by Leo Tolstoy seemed to fit the image and verse from Zechariah 4:10 - I like the thought the Lord rejoices when He sees us "begin", no matter how small the step we take is...

Available in my gallery shop here as a digital download... 

and here as a print ...

Peace - {Inspired Quotes}

The photo is one I snapped on a quiet foggy morning in April - my favorite view over the driveway where the hill beyond drops down to the road below...

For Kim's Beyond Layers class - Day 2 - word prompt: peace.

We Are Like Eggs - {inspired quote}

My "Monday" inspiring quote for this week's "A Week of Inspired Quotes" assignment in Beyond Layers.  Today's word prompt is Life.  I immediately thought of this page I made for a journal I am preparing for the shop -

In life, we often want to remain in our comfort zones, our "egg" so to speak.  But just as a bird must hatch in order to eventually fly, so we too must get out of the comfort zone in order to stretch, to be strengthened, to find new skills, abilities, relationships or ? that will allow us to go further than we could even think or imagine!

The alternative to not hatching?  As C.S. Lewis puts it, we "go bad" - this doesn't mean we become unredeemable, but that we stagnate...

To hatch, we have to break forth from inside the egg - it has to be our effort...yet a voice from without can call us, encourage us, lead us into

breaking out into life!

Birds and 3 Eternal Words

Learning more in photoshop this week...using my own "Eternal Words" art backgrounds for new applications.  AND I learned how to make my own custom shapes - I used the little birdie from 

my "...and sing" piece.  I am loving the versatility that photoshop gives!

I never tire of the three things "that remain" (1 Corinthians 13)....

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU

Simple Woman's Daybook - May 22, 2012

FOR TODAY 
 May 22, 2012

A peek into my day...
Photoshop play for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday - this deer and her fawn live in some woods at the back of our property.  I suspect she is the culprit when my garden gets eaten!  Mouseover the image to see the "before" photoshop play. I used Kim's texture "Waterstained Framed" at difference mode, then copied the picture again and set the picture copy to difference, too.  I do like the graphic artsy look this created.  The original was taken at sunset by dear husband, and he gave it to me to see if I could get the deer to show up better...I wish I had kept an image of the ORIGINAL original! 

Outside my window... Sunshiny, cool morning, with the promise of mid-ninety degree heat by this afternoon.  The air is calm - the entire vista hinting at the lazy days of summer to come...

I am thinking...about how many spaces I have to organize and purge in the house (3!! The office/art studio, my garage stained glass area, and my fabric corner in the master bedroom)

I am thankful...3 things from small ones: 1) curiosity over the ordinary; 2) quick to forgive and find goodness in another; 3) the feel of a small hand gripping mine for strength, courage, love, closeness...

In the kitchen...I made crockpot baked potatoes on Sunday - so delicious and beats the microwave by a mile as far as taste goes!

I am wearing...blue jean capris, white T, and it is time for bare feet!

I am creating... a photoshop word art piece, jewelry from silverware, more work on "Finding Sanctuary" (making a journal to accompany the course) - which is the funnest of the projects so far!

I am going...to the vet this afternoon with the little white dog - she probably needs a steroid shot for allergies to get through the summer.

I am reading..."Hunger Games" outloud for sweet tweener.  We are already on book 3!

I am hoping...to get those 3 areas organized by the first of June!

I am looking forward to...summer!

I am learning...how to use my fancy new dremel tool that dh surprised me with {he's so sweet}

Around the house...a quiet, peaceful, contemplative feel

I am pondering...how counting through the Feasts of the Lord helps to make the days stay longer; that the marking of time can mark our lives so deeply.

A favorite quote for today...

God say to give thanks, to do this in remembrance of Him — because in the remembering to give thanks, it’s our broken places that are re-membered — and we are the ones made whole.   Ann Voskamp in yesterday's posting

One of my favorite things...strong coffee in the morning...

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Smocking guild on Thursday; end of year water party at Love Street Park on Friday!


A Scripture to meditate on from this morning: 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB

Lectio Divina:
We read the passage slowly: lectio
We meditate on the Word or phrase: meditatio 
 If "as a man thinketh, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7), then it is doubly important to think on things that pave the way to hope and a good future...this ancient wisdom - whether from Philippians or Proverbs - is popular across the world in business coaching, in all spiritual disciplines, in counseling.  It is popular because it works!  But not as a perscription for soul health in and of itself, but because this discipline, ultimately, leads us into encountering God, engaging Him when His ways seem not to follow the path of goodness and loveliness, and finally being endeared to Him when we wrestle through to find the ultimate good He has ordained.

We talk with God: Oratio
We are silent: Contemplatio

Joining with the Simple Woman's Daybook community here
and
Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday here

Birds images - Sneak Peek Friday

Bird and Lyre Book Plate

I've been looking at bird images online this week, and quotes about birds.

Vintage Counting Birds

I love the counting birds above.

Bird and Lyre Book Plate - Library of Poetry and Song

These are all copyright free and most are from The Graphics Fairy.

Sweet Sparrow

I still feel like the little sparrow in Psalm 84, making her nest at the altar, 

in the place of finding sanctuary and 

contemplation.

Bird and Branches silhoutte

Vintage floral and bird banner

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at:

Taking a Chance/Changing

This post is really a response to this week's lesson (challenge?) for Beyond Layers...a sort of "get YOURSELF out of the box you have put yourself in" sort of thing (my paraphrase)...we are asked to shake things up a bit:  take a new route, try a new recipe, do something totally out of the ordinary for you, take a photograph -not your usual style...

For me, being in this class, doing anything photographic is a challenge, out of the box per se.
I am an artist (Yes!  I can say that!)  I am learning to approach my life as an artistic expression -
I know my life is an expression of my faith, my relationship with my Creator, too...when I lose myself in creating, becoming collaborator with the greatest of Creators - I feel content, complete...

I am in this class to learn Photoshop, not photography - yet I can get caught up in competing with my own skills in trying to get good images out of that little point and shoot...I know:

it has stretched me artistically...

it has distracted me artistically {smiling - when I get stuck on trying 50 different ways to make one photo - is that bad?  ☺♥}...

it has caused me to look at my life in more detail, as I look through the the view finder of the little black rectangle that is my occasional instrument of art.

it has caused me to think and to desire to teach what I am learning to others (but I don't know how to fit that into the online counseling site....)

...and how to balance the counseling, the therapy as art, and the art has been the constant journey of the past 16 months...and that is truly my "out of the box" challenge for myself - to package the passions, the leadings, even the Spirit's direction in a cohesive, logical and creative way that will reach the hearts of women (and men if that is to be)...

Just a "screen capture" using my little snip tool...

I keep snags of ideas on a pinterest board - that will be my "photo graphical" offering today: and you can get a deeper view as well... the "For 12Tribes" board + the two "Finding Sanctuary" boards are my places I pin things that might further the vision for my ultimate online presence...(click here if you want to go visiting!)

And you, how do you weave together your leadings, passions, callings?

Sneak Peek Friday - New Art - Faith has a sister named...

Another watercolor {mostly}/mixed media piece I have worked on this week - it sort of goes with this face {to the right}...
it will be available in the shop today ♥.

I will make a third - so there will bef a nice series...any ideas on theme for the third?


Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Sneak Peek:

Simple Woman's Daybook + Texture Tuesday

FOR TODAY 
May 8, 2012

A peek into my day... I was trying to achieve a Renaissance look on a yellow rose bloom photo I took at our local library - they have a little garden out front...
processed with: a levels adjustment
                           a layer of "Renaissance" by Sarah Gardner at multiply
                           2 layers of KK's "Charmed" at multiply
                           1 layer of KK's "Ugg Love" at multiply
I think it does look old and "reanaissancy" ☺

Outside my window...an overcast day.

I am thinking...a lot about "God as Business Coach"

I am thankful...for transportation, for air conditioning, for technology ☺.

In the kitchen...there is a key lime pie just begging to be made!

I am wearing...white T + my favorite denim capris with 3 studs on the bottom of each leg seam

I am creating...another mixed media piece...sisters...the reveal will be at this week's "Sneak Peek" at Studio JRU!

I am going...to take sweet tweener for her 11 year old check-up later this afternoon

I am wondering...what homeschooling will "look like" next year...

I am reading..."Holy Listening", a book on being a spiritual director...sometimes counseling takes that turn...and it is something to keep me sharp and tuned for the counseling arena...

I am hoping...always hoping, for wisdom, direction, sweet tweener's total healing, etc...

I am looking forward to...everything, as "hope" includes the idea of 'waiting in anticipation'

From the learning room... finishing up the 5th grade school year...

Around the house...art is happening!  Sweet tweener used watercolors to make a blue and red gecko...pretty cool!

A favorite quote for today..."Faith has a sister named Hope" - unknown

One of my favorite things...the ease of watercolors!

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Granbury - exploring antique shops with sweet tweener and checking out SHAPE Academy

A Scripture to meditate on from this morning: 

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. Psalm 34:7 (NASB)

Lectio Divina:
We read the passage slowly: lectio
We meditate on the Word or phrase: meditatio

We talk with God: Oratio
We are silent: Contemplatio

I do love this verse - but today it really spoke to me that not only does He encamp around me, but He also rescues me...is this a rescue from a problem that happened before I feared Him, before He camped around me?  The image of His encircling me makes me think nothing can come through Him to touch me, to harm me...but then it says "AND He rescues me (them)" - He protects AND rescues...but why do I need rescuing when He is the Protector?  It is stunning to realize I still need rescuing...from myself , no doubt!  A rescue from mindsets that have been entrenched from before I knew Him...perhaps even from basic fears, besetting sins, perceptions...this Old Testament passage makes a good place to refer people when they need convincing that inner healing continues after salvation, in fact, He pursues this inner healing!  I love how He always reveals treasures - both old and new - in His Word...I feel specially embraced by Him this morning...

Joining with the Simple Woman's Daybook community here
and
Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday here

Shades of Green

“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”

Pedro Calderon de la Barca                    

Clark Gardens - a stretch of lush green!

  Green signifies nature, growth, renewal and health;

The antelope horn milkweed - lime green + purple (on our property)

Green denotes balance, harmony, and stability;

 All shades of green this spring - across the driveway (March)

The color green is considered the most restful color for the human eye...the thought is that it occupies the center position of the visible spectrum, as well as being the largest band of color in the visible spectrum...and while pondering that, did you know that there is an emerald rainbow that encircles the throne of God?  Our eyes need never to grow weary of beholding His Face!

These blew off our oak trees just as the leaves were beginning to emerge - they are interesting, but I won't tell you what they really are!

Designers can use green to create serenity.

Linking with the color party at Studio JRU

And in honor of the farm greens at Jennifer's site, this video... The use of green in business design as well as many different meanings of the color green can be found at this site.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY 

A peek into my day...peace and relaxation!

Taken on the Clark Garden field trip - there is a place in our yard that looks like this; I love the bench, I want the bench!

Outside my window... Trees!  I love mature trees, and I love their fallen leaves in the fall -

I am thinking...about asking for a Dremel tool for Mother's Day...I really do want one!

I am thankful...3 things flat:  1) tortillas - for wrapping up breakfast; 2) flat stones for skipping; 3) flat irons for when sweet tweener wants to straighten those beautiful curls.

In the kitchen...orange chicken and rice for supper tonight!

I am wearing...denim capris and a short sleeved black tee with sparkles and pleats along the neckline.

I am creating...a pair of girls in mixed media - a light piece - a companion to "Arise & Sing"

I am going...to Granbury tomorrow with sweet tweener

I am reading..."Holy Listening" - about the art of Spiritual Direction

I am hoping...to get a fence around my garden!

I am looking forward to...the future!?! It has been a long time, I think, since I have felt that way...

From the learning room...feeling the downward slide towards the end of the school year - yet anticipating school through the summer!

Around the house...more organization = more time

I am pondering (contemplating?)...stillness, simplicity, sanctuary

A favorite quote for today...

Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.

~Hermann Hesse

One of my favorite things...simplicity around me

A few plans for the rest of the week:  CASA play on Friday - the last CASA field trip of the year : (.

A Scripture to meditate on from this morning:  From Malachi, Chapter 3...

16Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

17“They will be mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession.^a

Lectio Divina:
We read the passage slowly: lectio
We meditate on the Word or phrase: meditatio

We talk with God: Oratio
We are silent: Contemplatio

            I am contemplating the title He calls us, "treasured possession" - I wonder how I would behave, 
            how my emotions would be balanced, if I truly believed that title...


Diary of 5

I am seeing...trees fully leafed out - spreading branches as if trying to capture sunrays - creating the refreshing shade underneath their full arms.

I am hearing...Birds chirping, squirrels scolding

I am smelling...fresh air - it has such a clean smell this morning!

I tasted...A sausage biscuit from my gentle giant of an adult son...

I am feeling...purposeful.

Joining with the Simple Woman's Daybook community here