hope

"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."  (Romans 8:24,25)

Okay, so my word of the year is SEE, and I am on heightened alert for anything, anywhere that I find the word.  It really IS like treasure hunting.  :)  And it is just one more (fun, in my opinion) way to keep mindful...yes, a "discipline"...well, when I found the phrase: "the best part is what you can't see" (in some random magazine or something), I thought of this verse from Romans 8 (above)...TREASURE!  And OF COURSE it needed its own journal page...  :)

I think I will write "hope" and "faith" on the wheel...what would you write there?

Journal on, and have a hope-full day!  :)

into the depths

"The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths."
                                                         (taken from Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster)

It is too bad that often we (yes, even I still do) think of discipline as a negative thing...and yet I love the "call", the challenge, the opportunity that the disciplines provide for me in a deeper, more intimate walk of faith, with Christ...it really is just an invitation for MORE...more of Him!  And so, I accept!

Dive deeper!

still counting

Yes, still.....

...still counting.
                               counting. still.
Counting "gifts given" keeps me focused...eyes on The Giver...and as I look to Him, my heart is stilled, quieted...thankfulness is an amazing-and fun!-discipline.  What are you thankful for today?

courage

encourage...to infuse with courage

This is my latest journal page...it took a turn as I was "playing"...this was not the image nor the 'text' that I originally had in mind...but this is the result...hmmm...I guess I needed the reminder...

...so I encourage you (just in case you need the reminder also)...remember Who your strength is, and "be strong and of good courage" as your week begins.   :)

art goodies

I'm teaching "Play with a Purpose-Art Journaling" at Sierra College Community Ed. this weekend so I have been preparing all week...gathering supplies, making handouts...too much fun!

As I was packing up the happy mess of goodies, I thought I would take some pics to share...

 

 oh, and rations, of course...

 Doesn't that look like a good time?!? 

Have a great week-end...do something creative!  :)

beginning

in the beginning...I collect all the "ephemera" that is inspiring to me at that moment...what a fun mess!

 

 This crumpled piece is actually a paper towel that I has used to blot and clean with...I loved the inky colors and saved it (I should probably be embarrassed by that but I'm not...sigh...).  Now I will use it for texture and to add a little character, to alter this book... :)

...kinda like what happens to us...colored, torn, wrinkled, used by our life experiences...AND in Him, we are altered into something beautiful, something new... 

 

...as I was doing this, I started thinking of icons...images that hold some significance for us...I know that I am drawn to certain images and will use them over and over again...things like keys, clocks, birds, butterflies, etc....and without putting more weight on this than it deserves, I still like to ponder why it is that I like these images...anyway, instead of using any of the things I initially pulled out, I chose these mini images by Tim Holtz, stamped, cut them out, glued them down...again, the "process" was fun and meditative.

I may add more journaling to this, maybe not...but I'm happy with it...the scrunched and wrinkled color in the bottom corner grounding the black and white "icons"...what are your personal "icons"?

next...

September is next...what does it hold?  This is the journal I have chosen for September...it was a lot of scrap pieces of paper (Basic Gray line from a few years ago) that I had left over from a different project...I love the paper and the colors "feel" just right for the beginning of fall...the pieces were all different sizes, and instead of cutting them all to uniformity, I folded them, arranged them in the order I wanted, and stitched them together...scraps transformed to a book!

 

 

 

 

oooh...yum!  Gotta go...this is screaming at me, "Come play!"

What does your September hold?  Take time to "play" and journal it!  :)

it all adds up

So all of the bits and pieces of August...all that I journaled...are here...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 August went so fast and it seemed that I just didn't get to spend much time journaling...BUT ten minutes here and there REALLY DO add up...and it is so fun to see all the bits come together...I will still add some of the photos that I took but that is about it...

...next...   :)

loving the ordinary

I found this quote and as it mulled around in my mind, and affected my perspective, I decided it needed to grace a journal page... :)

The ordinary definitely takes up most of my day...and in effort toward mindfulness and gratitude, this is a good reminder...

I hope your ordinary day is marvelous!  :)