with heart, spirit and soul

listen and speak

with your heart

look and feel

with your spirit

hope and believe

with your soul

No words

She listens to a voice without sound
and somehow still gets the message.
Maybe it was something only she could understand.
Sometimes the messages that come to us in the strangest ways
are the ones we most need to hear.

She feels her soul lighten a bit when the message arrives.
Maybe she will be able to soar now above the pain and fear.
Sometimes she finds it easy and sometimes it is impossible.
Is she losing the faith she desperately hangs onto or
is she just growing again?

She speaks in symbols that no one but God seems to understand.
He listens when no one else does. Maybe they have
their own language just for the two to get.
Sometimes they communicate with no words at all.
Those are the best conversations.

SImple fact!

LIVE DAILY
TO BE WORTHY
OF ALL THE
GOODNESS
IN LIFE!

Image of the sky along Hwy 74 in Cleveland County, NC.

Make me!

Lord, in your mercy….
Make my attitude more understanding.
Make my words softer.
Make my heart lighter.
Make my life exemplary.
Make my mind clear.
Make my spirit true.
Make my ways tempered.
Make my ears alert.
Make my hope a reality.
Make my love real.
Make my faith strong.
Make my joy complete.
AMEN

Image from an international mag ATC Quarterly. Mine is in the lower right (son Matthew's face when he was about 1 year old)

Tests

Waiting is a test in patience.
Fear is a test for faith.
Perseverance is a test for prayer.
Dreams are a test for hope.

Know His G O O D N E S S!

God is good
His work is mysterious
His love is pure
His purpose is hope
His mercy is everlasting
His truth is perfect
His name is prayer.
God is good.

Inspired at Fernwood

Inspired by a rainy day as we plant a Magnolia tree.

with God

only with God

Only with God can I deal with challenge.
Only with God can I find peace in a troubled situation.
Only with God cam I know a Savior's love.
Only with God can I survive anything!

seek

I travel a path of uncertain distance but decided destination.
I seek answers to repeated questions.
I trust God to get me where I need to be and
Give me answers I need to hear.

God is good!

This is a short description of this past week while

with my parents for Dad's anuerysm repair.

Busy day
Long day
Good day
Fear and worry melted into
success and healing
loneliness became family
and friends' familiar faces
tears of anguish
became tears of joy and peace
S~I~G~H R~E~L~I~E~F
And prayers of pleas were answered becoming
Prayers of praise rendered.

Dad's surgery was great! Everything as planned. Left at 615 AM. Call at 850 surgery began. Call at 1040, closing…noon recovery and x rays…one pm….we saw his tired but relieved it was over face….then tears of release as Dad learned his minister and 5 church buddies were waiting with us....(Bob Green, Charlie Harris, Horton Landreth, Herman Brackett, Donald Smart, Pastor Joey)
What a beautiful moment to share with the man responsible for 1/3 of my life (Mom 1/3 and God 1/3) for without them I would not be here to help these two, my mom and dad….

A tired family
Walks toward the lights of home
A healing man taught his daughter

about the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
He exemplifies them all.
A pure woman worries and frets over details

God is handling but never ceases to do her part.
A fatigued and tired but inspired daughter strives

to be worthy of the two parents God gave her.

Faith Vs Fear

Life-just live it!

Fear is found 326 times in the Bible but FAITH is found 422 times. What should this tell me? Faith is bigger than fear. And what is fear? In the Bible many times it means to reverence the Lord. I must reverence all the time then. I have struggled with fear my entire life and why? Wasted energy. Wasted faith. Wasted time. Wasted PERIOD! If faith is bigger and stronger and used more times in the Bible then why do I let a little thing like fear (which is also a smaller word physically) trample on me and cause me doubt and pain and suffering? Human nature I guess! Sometimes I wish I wasn't so human but I am and the great truths of the Bible see us humans through anything, any day, any time. You just have to go to the scriptures. Read them. Trust them. Live them. I've always heard the phrase "we all have our little crosses to bear". Well, fear must be mine. I want to not fear. I will to not fear. I pray to not fear. So why do I fear? Weakness? Maybe. Faithless? NO!
A favorite verse has carried me through so many fearful times (many of my own making I must add); but this is one of my very favorites of all times.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
So for now I'm going to rest in His righteous hand for a bit. I'm tired and weary from the worry and fear but I'm trying hard to let Faith win out.





This will be the last post for a few days. My Dad is having surgery Monday and I will be out of town with him and Mom. Lift lots of prayers please.

He has it all covered.

The creator of all life

in the comforter of all pain.

The peace of the world

is the hope of everyone.

The Father of Christ

is the answer to any question.

The love of Christ

is the salvation to all who believe.

Nirvana

I walk an overgrown path

fearful of the unknown but

relax in Nirvana and continue

the path leads to my Mecca-

a bench by the creek.

Sun filters through my canopy

of trees created by God.

The woodsy scent is intoxicating

and I drink it in.

This holy moment of peace will

get me through the unknown.

Life doesn't have to be easy to be good--

Only well-lived with great memories of joy and peace.

God is only a thought away so all that all that is needed

is to speak His name and find the peace

that can ease any anxiety.

(I wrote this while praying last weekend at my soul retreat (Fernwood-family property)

for my Dad's upcoming surgery.

Image from art journal explored.

The JOY of the LORD

is my STRENGTH.

The LOVE of the LORD

is my HOPE.

The PEACE of the LORD

is my quest.

The WORD of the LORD

is my journey.

from another's mouth to your ears

If you are a blogger or a blog reader you find yourself obsessed with reading too many blogs. So much is shared that is a common thread among people. Someone else speaks and your heart remembers. Someone else writes something and your soul identifies. Someone else describes something and you think "that could be me.' I read so many blogs I enjoy for content, images, emotions and inspirations. Do you remember Angela Cartwright, the little girl actress? She was a favorite I enjoyed as I grew up and now she's a world class artist and photographer as well. I truly enjoy her artwork and blog. Here is the link to it http://acartwrightstudio.blogspot.com/ and I particularly enjoyed her post on April 17 (Things I've learned) so check it out for yourself and see if you don't get hooked as well. And you just may want to make your own list.

another journal image....this one is digital completely......

From God

Believe the words of you heart

because they were placed there divinely.

Trust the wave of peace in your soul

because God himself dwells there.

Keep the spirit of joy in your life

because you allowed God to minister it to you.

So take time today to just be

and a serenity weill settle on you like no other

because it is of God.

Image from the art journal work this weekend!

Can B A L A N C E be far behind?

Always hopeful and

continuing in prayer,

she follows after God's own heart.

Keeping his spirit by

means of trust is second nature.

Can balance be far behind?

Living the Christian life makes

any situation doable.

Look at those around you.

See their ability

to handle whatever life throws at them.

Observe from afar and

it will lift your hopes and spirit.

See the invaluable lessons of life

as a means to a better life lived fully.

Confidence in trusting the

Holy Guide for everything along the way,

always praying and trying to be the best you can be

will make for a pretty near perfect life.

Image is new watercolor work in progress. Inspired from journal page "Was she ever here?"

The NAME is everything!

believe in healing

trust the great Physician

have faith in life

depend on the Vine

accept guidance along the way

confide in the good Shepherd

realize endings are just new beginnings

turn to the Alpha and Omega

know comfort in your own skin

rely on the Prince of Peace

express gratitude for your many blessings

look to El Shaddi (supplier)

embrace knowledge of God's word

connect with Rabboni (teacher)

cherish His presence everywhere in your life

Be assured with Emmanuel

If you haven't tried custom brushes and cloning in Photoshop Elements, do so.

It's a very versatile and creative tool. That's how this row of images of me was done.

Inspiration from the Soul Journal

Design the page with multicolored spots as an animal print. Use the magazine stencil idea (cut out model and use shape as a stencil, and paint around, careful not to over paint and disturb the spots underneath). Draw lines on part of the page and write a message. I call this Spot Check.

God is only beginning!

When I am weak,

He is strong.

When I am hurting,

He is healer.

When I am lost,

He is seeker.

When I am wavering,

He is steady.

When I am wordless,

He speaks.

When I am confused,

He is reason.

When I am hopeless,

He is dauntless.

When I am blind,

He leads.

When I am fearful,

He is safety.

When I am finished,

He is only beginning.

A favorite day!

M-O-T-H-E-R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,

"O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell

"MOTHER,

"A word that means the world to me.
~By Howard Johnson~

And my finished Mother's Day book for my Mom.

Everyday Sacred

Birds sing in flight.

Blooms grace us with beauty.

Angels protect our every move.

God blesses our thoughts of good.

Everyday sacred is our hope.

Prayers of thanks are lifted.

God's word is read for guidance.

Hymns of silence speak to our soul.

Unspoken sermons lead our spirit.

Everyday sacred is our way.

a work in progress

I am a work in progress.

I learn something new everyday.

I have learned to share what I have.

I have learned to say NO!

I have learned I must make my own choices.

I now know that balance comes from knowing

your own self, your own limitations, and your own needs.

Time must be allowed to discover this self knowledge and make use of it.

And this journal page is a work in progress. The swirly maze background was done a couple weeks ago and the shadow figures added yesterday. Time will tell me what to add next.

Balance

To find a quiet moment

and hear a message from within

leads to a feeling of balance.

To care for the soul

and nurture the spirit

leads to a feeling of calm completion.

To trust your Maker

and understand your blessings

leads to a life of joy and peace.

To share your resources

and knowledge

leads to finding your purpose.

To give of your talent

and use your abilities

fulfills your purpose

To lift another's spirit

and increase their self worth

humbles your own life

and gives it a sweetness like nothing else.

Obsession with Woman A to Z continues.

Here's a little sampler.

An Alliterative Association

Find the creative spirit today

the birth of the creative spirit

takes patience,

time

and solitude

to honor the creative spirit

takes love,

diligence

and compassion

to know the creative spirit

takes silence,

focus

and desire

to share the creative spirit

takes generosity,

effort

and consistency

He gets it all done!

God sends both the sun and the rain.
He heals the hurt and the pain.
God holds us up and guides us through;
He knows our damages and provides the glue.
God gives both joy and grace.
Follow Him and see him one day face to face.

Image is for Somerset submission-theme- Aubergine (a shade of purple and also means eggplant), acrylic paint on foam core, paint samples from home improvement store, mod podge

Shadows over New Bern

More digital fun with pics from visiting son last weekend.