Created 2B Creative

Dancing in the Snow

2012-02-18T21:17:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share some of my husband's latest creativity with you:

I love it!

(He's going to miss Picnik come April.)

More Valentine Loveliness

2012-02-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

My awesome DH helped make Valentine's Day special this year. For breakfast, he had these sweet treats prepared:

This photo looks cluttered, but it gives you a glimpse of our table setting. Do you like the Valentine tree? I love the idea of it, but this particular one is a bit big and lopsided.

DH and DD14 made Valentine garlands:

We forgot to buy Valentine's napkins, so we used Christmas ones instead. They still worked for the occasion ;)

For dinner, we had our traditional heart-shaped pizzas -- but this year we all topped our own.

DH and DD9 created this awesome marble cake for dessert . . .

. . . along with these jam-filled heart cookies.

It was a lovely day of fellowship with family and friends celebrating this:

Subway art courtesy of The Girl Creative.

Do you have any Valentine traditions? Whether you do or not, how do you celebrate love?

Word Art Wednesday - February 15, 2012

2012-02-15T18:34:00.001-05:00

Whew! It has been a busy week! Just popping in right now to post my Word Art Wednesday piece for today.

The verse is Psalm 119:105. I really struggled with how to visually represent this verse. The Word is the lamp. I wanted to stay away from typical images of bibles and lamps -- but then I was without any images! Just as I was drifting off to sleep last night, though, I had an image of God's word literally plastered on the page illuminating the path of a woman. So, using a print-out of the verses I'd used in my DH's Valentine's Alphabet Book, I made a background with the Word and painted it yellow to represent His Word being a lamp -- and drew a woman on a path being led by that light. I wish she didn't look quite so angry -- or worried -- and I can't quite determine which way she's a walkin' -- but I like the concept :) Perhaps I'll try again when I have more time.

How would you depict this verse in a visual image?

The sponsor for this week's word art challenge is Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. If you participate in the challenge, you just might win something from her collection!

Valentine's Art Gifts 2012

2012-02-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day has traditionally become a time for our family to get creative and celebrate love with pretty decorations and heart-shaped personal pizzas (more about that in another post, most likely ;) This year, it was DD9 and I who went to town making Valentine art. Inspired by one viewing of these Crazy Hearts Club collages, DD9 made these for some of the people at our table (and then some). (She had an extra, so though she wanted me to have a surprise, she decided to make one for me, too.)

She likes her paint muddy -- and I have to get over that. It's all about the process for her -- and I love that she just delights in painting. I bit my tongue after suggesting once that she try to keep her colours bright. Who am I to tell her what her colours should look like?!

We added the thready texture to the hearts by gluing on some remnants from the wool that I used for my project below (the litter of which was still sitting on the art table!). It's glittery litter -- so we were both happy to find a use for it :)

Here is the special card she made for Daddy, inspired by this one I pinned to my pinterest board because I liked the idea:

We recycled some of her old art for the heart (she traced around a cookie cutter in the spot that appealed to her most) -- and I love how it goes with the background paper she chose.

The inside has one of those fanned paper hearts that I helped her make with an assortment of papers, including recycled art, waxed paper, vellum, and scrapbook paper.

She used an old dyno tape label maker to create the words inside the card, which she had painted silver.

I used the same label maker for my card, which was inspired by this Love Map. I didn't have a bunch of old maps to cut up, nor did I have a suitable picture frame, so I modified the idea to make a simple Valentine's card for my husband. I mapquested the places we met, married and live, then simply printed them on photo paper before cutting them out in heart shapes.

Not quite as eye-catching as the original, but it works for the occasion :) I can't bring myself to pay the outlandish prices for a store-bought card!

For several years running now, I have made a Valentine's gift for my husband. Inspired by this Valentine's Day Love Album, I made good use of my time during my last chemotherapy treatment. After pumping myself with some caffeine to counteract the effects of the Benedryl, I spent the morning creating this alphabet book to commemorate significant aspects of our love relationship. I had a nosey nurse -- she kept asking what I was writing for each letter and trying to read what I'd written! LOL I didn't mind, especially since I knew I'd be posting about it here, but I thought she was rather brazen in her nosiness ;) Of course, I'm not sharing the whole alphabet (that would be boring!) -- but I will point out that I took the idea a step farther and added a scripture verse for each word I'd used to correspond with the letters of the alphabet. That took forever! For the actual book, I kept things simple by using a pre-cut pad of colour-co-ordinated cardstock (with varied designs) and black letter stickers from our dollar store stash. I bound them with a Xerlox binder comb -- easy-peasy.

Finally, my DH got creative a while back after I sent him a link to Skip to my Lou's Valentine's ideas. He picniked a photo and prepared a bunch of these for DS5 to give to his friends:

Pretty stinkin' cute, don't you think?

Have you enjoyed some seasonal creativity lately? This morning you might have seen me in our back yard sawing off the top of a dead tree (don't worry -- it was small!). Check in later this week to see how that tree top fit into our Valentine's decor! :)

Valentine's Blog Hop 2012

2012-02-09T09:00:00.007-05:00

Welcome to the Word Art Wednesday / Stampin' Sisters in Christ Valentine's Blog Hop! (See the end of this post if you need more details.) The theme for this year's hop takes us far beyond the world's superficial concepts of love and romance -- it is a celebration of God's Love. All participating artists used word art of John 15:9 - "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

That verse is worth some reflection! How has the Father loved Jesus? He refers to Jesus as His "Beloved Son," in whom He is "well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). That, in turn, is how Jesus loves us. John 1:12 says that we become His children when we believe in His name. He loves us so much that He died on the cross so that we could spend eternity with Him (John 3:16). And it is our choice to follow His instruction to remain in that love and enjoy an abundant life in Christ while we live this life on earth (John 10:10). I, for one, wish to remain in His love! How about you?

I wrestled for a long time with how to represent this verse in my art. On the one hand, I was drawn to using typical Valentine's imagery and colours. However, when I began a collage along those lines, I just wasn't finding a way to depict the meaning in my images and design elements. So, I flipped through some Usborne art activity books for some inspiration, and this is what I came up with:

The person represents Jesus, with loving arms outstretched. Those arms are suggestive of the cross on which He demonstrated the depth of His love for us -- and they are the arms of God inviting a warm embrace -- for eternity. What safer, more peaceful place could there be than the arms of our Saviour? That is truly the experience of real Love.

Personally, I am finding Rest and Security in those arms. I hope you are, too!

Now, in regards to the official blog hop -- if you arrived at my blog from Miesje's Craft Room with a View (and via Word Art Wednesday), you're in the right place. But if you found me by chance, please go back and start at Word Art Wednesday to enjoy the whole hop. As I mentioned, we are celebrating LOVE......God's love. All you need to do is visit each stop on the blog hop and leave a comment on each blog to be eligible for the Grand Prize from Stampin' Up. The prize winner will be announced on February 14th.

After you've left your comment here, go to Roses By My Window, the next stop on the hop, and I know Peggysue has something lovely for you to see. We hope you enjoy the blog hop, and we'd love to have you visit us regularly at Word Art Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a blessed day!

Word Art Wednesday - February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T08:00:00.010-05:00

"I know my Redeemer lives" Job 19:25 is this week's free word art passage at Word Art Wednesday. It begs the question, what is a redeemer?

It's a saviour, deliverer, rescuer, saver, according to Miriam Webster's dictionary's synonyms (which were far more helpful than the definition itself!).

The One who fulfills the role is Jesus. And I do know He lives because He lives in me! (Galatians 2:20) And because He lives, I can face tomorrow! (Truly! Read the lyrics as you listen to the song at that link.)

I did two pieces of art for this verse simply because I didn't like the first one. I wanted an art journal feel to it, so I used some bits and pieces of things I'd done before, but never used in a piece of art. I started by printing the verse on lined paper, and used a background I created while working through The Artistic Mother, as well as an image transfer I'd made and coloured ages ago. But there was really no rhyme nor reason to what I was doing, and I think that's why I wasn't really happy with the results.There is, of course, a place for that kind of art, but I want my WAW pieces to be purposeful and significant.

I stamped over the poor little one's face!!!

So, since DD9 was happily painting away beside me and seemed nowhere near being "done," (she was playing with paint, not really creating anything in particular) I decided to try again. I still used stuff from my stash, including the background paper and the woven paper, which DD9 and I created together more than a year ago. I chose that particular background paper because I was still going for the haphazard, vibrant colours that I so often see in art journals. I used the woven paper because of what I said about my Redeemer above -- He lives in me -- our lives are intertwined. It's His Life that sparkles in mine -- represented by the glittery "r." And those three gems at the top? They represent my triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit :) The stitching and bead are just decorative ;)

I definitely like my second piece better. What do you think?

If you would like to enjoy the pleasure (and it really is a pleasure) of participating in the Word Art Wednesday Challenge, please link up with us! You might just win something pretty from Fred She Said.

Also -- tomorrow is the beginning of our Valentine's Blog Hop! Be sure to check out the work of the WAW Design Team and some of the members of Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

Crayola Creativity

2012-02-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

DD14 banished herself to the basement yesterday and threatened anyone who came near while she gave life to her creations. She was inspired by some examples she'd seen online of crayons glued to a canvas, then heated to create wonderful drips of colour.

Here is her first attempt, with which she was dissatisfied because it turned out so dark. I think it's pretty:

In her second attempt, I notice that she payed attention to the labels on the crayons. It's pretty, too!

Have you found any creative new uses for crayons?

Clone*Mart

2012-02-04T14:56:00.001-05:00

Clone*Mart -- Where Clones Buy Stuff

DS13, Lego lover that he is, created "Clone*Mart -- Where Clones Buy Stuff" (to be read with a British accent):

This is the dude that buys EVERYTHING. "Every store has one." The guy with the bag is buying soap. Just soap.

Silver mannequin.

Personally, I'm rather glad there's no Clone*Mart in my neighbourhood! But I'm grateful DS13 is using his imagination and taking delight in his creations.

Not to be outdone, after I posted this, DS5 created his own "store" -- complete with a pool that has bombs in it. Nice.

Notice the body parts floating in the bomb-embedded pool. Apparently someone blew up.

Boy brains. I don't understand them :{

I'm not liking the violent imagery -- but I AM enjoying the peaceful play in which my boys are engaging together!

Word Art Wednesday - February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

This week's Word Art Wednesday Challenge verse is Nehemiah 8:10 -- "The joy of the Lord is my strength."

Does that verse sound odd to you? Shouldn't it be the other way around -- "the strength of the Lord is my joy"?

And yet it's not. Truly, the JOY of the Lord is our STRENGTH. This truth has certainly been proven in my life these last few months. In spite of my circumstances -- being diagnosed with aggressive cancer -- being hospitalized for weeks at a time -- getting a dangerous infection in my blood -- undergoing toxic treatments that take their toll on my body -- in spite of all these facts of my life, I have found joy in my relationship with Christ, and that has been my strength!

Am I always happy? No. I have my down days. But underlying any doom or gloom that might invade my mind, my heart knows joy. It's only because of Him. And that deeply penetrating joy is my strength to endure whatever He walks me through.

But the challenge for me was how to represent all this in a piece of art! What I finally decided upon was an image of a woman that is also an oak tree. An oak is known for its strength, and the woman's "arms" are outstretched in joyful praise like the branches of a mighty oak tree. (I added printed images of oak leaves so you'd know it's an oak tree, not just any old kind of tree -- and to add some colour ;) I wish I'd succeeded in making the woman's face a little more joyful looking -- but perhaps I just mean "happy," which isn't necessarily joyful anyway -- so I won't worry.

Have you found joy?

Word Art Wednesday is proving to be a real blessing to many. Perhaps you'd like to join in? If you do, you have chance to win something lovely from Heart and Soul Rubber Stamp Co. . I do hope you'll join us!

Word Art Wednesday - January 25, 2011

2012-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, I don't choose the verses for the Word Art Wednesday Challenge, but every one is so applicable to my life! Many of you know that I am in the process of ousting cancer from my body. (You can read more about that journey of blessing at CaringBridge, if you wish.) What you may not know is that my body has failed me in other ways, too. I have been barren; no child has grown in my womb.

Like Sarah, like Hannah -- I have prayed -- poured out my heart before God -- for children.

And those prayers have been answered!

By the miracle of open adoption, "the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him" -- FOUR times!

Here are my four precious answers to prayer:

Of course, I couldn't choose ONE to represent on my piece of art, so I opted for a simple drawing (I'm trying! ) of a mother and child to represent me and each of them. I did, however, use paint that DD9 had mixed for one of her own creations as my background colour. It shimmers a bit because she's all about the glitter -- but I'm afraid I couldn't capture that in the photo. The four gems represent the children that are precious jewels to me.

Is there a verse that resonates with you today?

Word Art Wednesday - January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

This week's Word Art Wednesday verse, Joshua 1:9, was particularly relevant for me. At the end of last week, I learned that while my chemo treatments are working, they have not accomplished as much as they needed to to eradicate my lymphoma, so I will need some additional treatments. That's discouraging to me. But read the verse . . .

There are some pretty significant commands in there! Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Why? Because the Lord will be with you! And indeed He is! So we will press on in faith.

While it might look a little random, there is some significance to the elements of this little WAW piece. I thought the story of Samson was a good text to start with as the background paper, since he was known for his strength and courage. The woman (drawn with Sharpies on the back of a domino) -- with her funky hair -- kinda makes me think of me. Not that I have hair -- but I am getting pretty funky with my head coverings:

It takes a bit of courage to go out in public like this, and I do see a strength of "style" emerging in me -- though sometimes I wonder if it's the style of an aged, wacky "Walue Willage" (what we call the Value Village thrift store) shopper ;)

And finally, the egg shells -- a splash of colour -- but they also represent strength. Squeezed end to end, it is surprisingly difficult to break the shell of an egg. So I thought egg shells were a good symbol to incorporate into a piece of art about strength and courage.

What symbols would you use to represent strength and courage, or to represent the commands in this verse?

If you'd like to participate in this weeks Word Art Challenge, you could win something from Crop Stop! Why not give it a go?

Word Art Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

The verse for this week's Word Art Wednesday is Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Of course, my mind immediately went to wedding imagery -- but I'd used a wedding photo for last week's WAW. I love marriage and trees, and I saw an image similar to this somewhere on the web, and it all came together for me -- the whole idea of two people having roots of their own but becoming one and creating a family tree . . .

I decided to use the word art in strips because I liked the idea of creating breaks throughout the verse -- but I didn't mean for the strips to be lifting as they are in the photo. {sigh. Where's my glue stick now?!?!?} The photo is also a bit shadowy (there are no big black blobs under the leaves) -- but this was the best of the bajillion that I took. I've been trying to take pictures without the flash since I've read numerous places that's the best thing to do for blog pictures -- but I'm not having much success. Alas, I gave up trying to get a better shot than this. (Bad blogger!)

I have been debating whether to continue using the library catalogue cards as my base for the word art challenges because they are a tad small. But I decided to keep using them because they are making a neat little collection of word art without taking up a lot of space. (I also like those little tabs for titles!) I was thinking of using a binder ring to join them together like a mini book (since they already have holes in them), but my husband suggested framing them in groups in shadow boxes once I have a good collection. So for now, I'll just keep them stacked neatly until we figure out how to display them, if at all.

This week's challenge is sponsored by Eclectic Anthology -- so if you participate, you might just win some pretties from them! Why don't you give it a try?!?!?

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me -- on Thursday!

2012-01-05T16:45:00.000-05:00

Building Spiritual Immunity

Yes, it's only Thursday, but I've been inspired by my husband's recent post on our CaringBridge journal, and since I haven't posted a Monday Musings in forever, I thought I would spend some time reflecting today while I'm lying low.

You see, I have a cold. Not a big deal -- except that because of my chemo treatments, I have virtually no immune system with which to fight the bug. My husband has the same cold, but it is barely affecting him; he is buzzing around here like a wonderful worker bee getting lots accomplished. I, on the other hand, am knocked off my feet -- quite literally. I spent the day yesterday on the couch or my bed, unable to do much of anything. This morning, after a good night's rest, I felt considerably better, so I tried doing a bit of my exercise routine in an effort to get my lymph flowing and the toxins moving out of my body. However, within the first five minutes of this simple stretching routine, I felt like I was going to pass out; I had to lie down. I got dressed for the day -- and had to lie down again. I'm writing to you from my blessed bed -- for which I give thanks daily, BTW!

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I favour natural remedies and work hard to boost my body's immune system with all manner of things God has given us in nature, including oil of oregano, vitamin C, aronia juice, fresh fruits and vegetables -- just to name a few. We can boost our immune systems with thoughtful effort, and it does help us to ward off germs.

As my husband reflected on this fact, he made a parallel to our spiritual immune systems. He pointed out, "When we do not care for our spiritual immune system, we leave ourselves open to the "germs" that rob us of our spiritual well-being."

These last few weeks, I confess that I have felt susceptible to "spiritual germs" -- to the forces of the spiritual realm that would have me worry, feel sorry for myself, and fear for the future. Those beastly bugs that would infest my brain and steal my joy have been gaining ground, AND I KNOW WHY!

It's because I haven't been boosting my spiritual immune system the way I was earlier along this cancer journey, and for the better part of last year!

So how do we boost our spiritual immune systems? After all, Jesus is all we need, right? We don't need Jesus and oil of oregano for the soul. We don't need Jesus and vitamin victory, or Jesus and joy juice. (C'mon -- have some fun coming up with your own spiritual vitamin names;)

Jesus is all we need. And yet (not "but" -- because this is not a contrasting thought!), by His Grace, He is not all we have.

So, what do we have to boost or spiritual immune systems -- to spray the proverbial Raid in the faces of those demons that would drag us down?

Here are three . . .

We have His Word.

For the better part of last year and certainly all the time I spent in the hospital last fall, I was reading my bible daily and journaling my prayers. For the first time in my life, it was a delight to make time to read His Word and marvel at all the things recorded in it. And that made a huge difference in what I thought about throughout the day, and how I felt! It made a huge difference in my spiritual life! He uses His word to speak directly to us. Take today for example. After thinking about this topic, I turned to the book of James where I had been reading most recently, and read this: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:7-8). Is that not so relevant to what we're talking about?!?!?

Is reading the bible a necessary component of living an abiding life in Christ? No -- because He is the Word, and He is in us. (And let's not forget all the believers in the world who have no access to a bible. They still live abundant Christian lives -- often more so than those of us who have so many spiritual tools available.) But it is a God-Gift of Grace to have the scripture to read -- and we are wise to cherish it by taking time to read it.

We have books, CDs, DVDs -- all manner of Christian resources that are meant to turn our eyes to Jesus.

While one always needs to be selective in reading choices, I think it is safe to say that we have all read a book that has influenced our way of thinking. Certainly my reading of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts has affected the way I view life. It has shed light on the fact that all is Grace -- and that even cancer is a Grace Gift. Such a way of viewing the world makes a huge difference in the enemy's ability to stake claim to my brain! If I am thankful, I cannot be miserable, or self-centred, or even fearful. My gratitude enables me to see Grace. And it is a book written by a humble farmer's wife that showed me that -- a book that has boosted my immunity to those voices in my head that would have me rant at God for the seeming inequities of my life.

Should Christian resources replace our study of God's word? Of course not. But He has allowed their existence for our edification. Just as He provides nourishment for our bodies, He provides nourishment for our souls.

WE HAVE COMMUNITY

In a recent post, Ann Voskamp stated, "I need community with the Body to stay attached to the head, Christ. [ I] need to to dig deep channels of communication between my God, my children, my husband. A three-fold cord — communion, community, communication — ‘koinonia’ may be this lifeline that careening days can hold on to."

While again we maintain that Jesus is all we need, He has designed us for fellowship -- He has designed us to crave community. (The importance of fellowship and community is clearly conveyed throughout the new testament.) And in North America, we are blessed to be able to freely gather in His name. We are free to live life together, gently tilting each others' faces to the Son.

I can't describe how important community has been to us in our cancer journey alone. There are no words. Over and over again, people have shown us God's Grace -- have been His hands and feet -- have loved us with His Love. And there is nothing like the power of people's prayers to boost one's spiritual immunity! I can feel when people are lifting me up before the Throne of Grace. And it is such an honour and a privilege to both be the recipient of prayers, as well as the petitioner.

So, it has taken me ever so long to put together this little post about building our spiritual immunity, but I hope it has inspired you to put some thought into how you will guard your spiritual health this year.

Do you have other ideas about how we can build spiritual immunity against the enemy's minions? Please share them in the comments below.

Word Art Wednesday - January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned recently that I am a delighted design team member of Word Art Wednesday. Well, here is the product of my creativity working with Cassandra's text art from Ruth 1:16:

It was New Year's Eve when I worked on this, and I'll confess that I was feeling quite ill, likely from the effects of chemo. I spent a lot of time staring at my bits and pieces of collage material, not knowing what I wanted to use or do. I felt so un-engaged that I kept asking my DD9 for input -- and she was such a blessed encourager as I worked using her ideas, and her paints that she'd poured for her own work.

I wanted it to be a special piece because my DH and I used this verse as part of our marriage vows. (Hence my choice of using our wedding photo.) "Bliss" truly is an apt title because I love my married life and maintain my vow to follow where he leads. And yet I found myself looking at the picture and thinking, "Who would have thought we'd be in this place 20 years later?" It has been a hard road, and because I was feeling physically unwell, my mood got a bit gloomy. Thankfully, DD9 was there to keep drawing me into the delight of the moments we were sharing together.

So, while it may never be my favourite creation, this piece holds a lot of significance for me -- wandering ideas, roller-coaster emotions, dreams failed and fulfilled, and lots and lots of love.

Have you created anything lately that holds personal significance for you?

Would you like to join us at the Word Art Wednesday Linky Party? You could win a gift from Whimsy Stamps, the sponsor for this week's challenge! Click the image below to find out more!

New Year Creativity

2012-01-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm a little slow in the game -- but Happy New Year to you all!

Our family rang in the new year a little differently this year. DH took DD14 and two of her friends downtown for some exploring of the "big city" before gathering for the official city celebration while I stayed home with the other three. We played some games and ate left overs with special drinks and desserts, then DS5 went to bed at the usual time. DD9 really wanted to do some art with me, so DS13 (who wasn't feeling creative) read by the fire while we worked down in the art studio. I created my Word Art Wednesday piece (which I will save for tomorrow), and DD9 worked incredibly diligently on this painting:

She was very proud of her work. She had a vision -- and she went about putting it on the canvas with patience and perseverance. When she asked for advice, I tried to encourage her to make her own choices instead of advising her because I have far too great a tendency to -- well -- take control and somehow make my children feel that their way is somehow "wrong". At the same time, to build her confidence in art, I kept asking her opinions about my work. She was a great encourager. It was a delightful time as we worked side-by-side, and she kept coming in for cuddles, saying, "I just need to be near you, Mommy! I just love working here with you making art together by ourselves!" It's definitely something we need to do more often. It seems to me that she is wrestling with things in her heart and mind, and our time in the art room always seems to bring things a little closer to the surface so they can be talked about.

She actually spent much more time deliberating and working on her painting than I did (it's usually the other way around!), so when she finally decided her work was done, we went back upstairs and watched a movie with DS13, then tuned in to the last 45 minutes of the city's tv coverage to see if we could find our gang. (Of course, we couldn't.) We were very grateful to be snug at home and not downtown with the throngs of noisy people. It was hard to stay awake -- but we all made it to midnight when DH and the others called to ring in the new year with us over the phone!
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Today, my home care nurse came to look after my PICC line, and she was telling me about a quinoa salad she makes. I decided to get a little creative for lunch with her inspiration, and here is the result:

I did no measuring, but I can tell you the ingredients, which were pretty much whatever I could find in the fridge: cooked quinoa, diced purple onion, fresh-pressed garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, rinsed (to get most of the sugar off) dried cranberries, fresh parsley, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. I had a couple of helpings and DH had three, so it was pretty tasty :) His only suggestion was to use less lemon as his salivary glands felt a little over stimulated ;)

Have you started the new year with any creative endeavours?

Word Art Wednesday

2011-12-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

Alas, I have no art to post for Word Art Wednesday this week as it has been a rough go health wise, and I haven't had the physical "power" to be working on art. However, I am honoured to have been selected to be a member of Cassandra's Word Art Wednesday's Design Team! I have been very careful to limit my "challenges" and responsibilities these days, and with Cassandra's sweet understanding and a determination to get things done in advance, I am delighted to participate. (It's just a three-month term.) There are very few things I feel like doing these days, but I know that even a little bit of dabbling with art helps me heal. Besides that, WAW is a simple but wonderful way to let God expand in me (a concept a friend introduced to me, and now I find others writing about) through contemplating His Word.

Perhaps you'd like to join us!

Word Art Wednesday

2011-12-14T18:46:00.001-05:00

I'm participating in Word Art Wednesday again --

I glued a piece of an old encyclopedia page on the library catalogue card and painted with water colour, then drew and wrote with marker (the page in the background is not attached -- it was just for the photo).

I was inspired by this view from my hospital bed this morning. While there was no weeping last night (at least in my room), that's the verse that came to my mind while I watched the sunrise this morning.

Art for Helen

2011-12-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I created a piece of art for a terminally ill lady I met in the hospital, and my friend liked it so well she wished she had a copy of it. Well, she deserves more than a copy of something I made for someone else, so I painted a similar picture especially for her. I'm happier with it than the original she liked, so I hope she is even more pleased, too :)

But I must tell you what an amateur I am! I thought I was painting with water colours. Half way through I realized I'd done the background with water colours and the woman with acrylics!!!!

Hospital Art - yet another piece

2011-12-12T12:24:00.001-05:00

Well, an unfortunate infection in my PICC line (which has since been removed) has landed me in the hospital yet again. This time, instead of lamenting the weight of my art-to-go kit, my dh encouraged me to bring it :)

Interestingly enough, we both had some creative inspiration last week while we sat at this very hospital for an outpatient appointment. He imagined writing a symphony using the notes of an IV monitor alarm (I told him it might make me and other patients scream in horror. That sounds curdles my blood now ;)

I envisioned a piece of art in which I was holding my husband's face, looking into his eyes, with the words of the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" written around the picture. At first I wondered if that was sacrilege. But then I realized that if we are to be Jesus to others, to let Him live through us, then it made absolute sense that I could look into my believing husband's eyes, the man who is Love to me, the one who meets my day-to-day needs in a real and physical way, and see Jesus. As if to confirm what I'd been thinking, the pastor spoke on Sunday about the times we pray for others. When we pray that Jesus meet the needs of our neighbour, we should be going out there and helping to meet the need. When we pray that He comfort someone in their loss, we should be offering them comfort ourselves. The Spirit of Jesus is in us, and we are His hands and feet . . .

So this is the drawing I did based on my "vision." I really think I should stick to mixed-media collage, but maybe one day I'll learn how to draw ;)

Have you had any visions of art you'd like to create? Have you tried to make them real? How did they turn out?

{this moment}

2011-12-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

Participating in Amanda Soule's:

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Word Art Wednesday

2011-12-07T18:58:00.000-05:00

One of my new cyber friends, Cassandra, recently started a meme called Word Art Wednesday. The challenge is to create a piece of art that incorporates scripture or some encouraging text. I've wanted to participate for a while, but haven't quite felt up to it physically. But this afternoon my DD14 asked me to come into the art room and be creative with her. That was an invitation I could not refuse (it was such a delightful one!). So we sat together and bounced ideas off of each other as we worked.

Our family has been thinking a lot about Peace lately -- our need for it, and the too-oft feeling that it is lacking in our household. The reality is that it is not lacking because Peace is a Person -- Jesus -- who lives in us if we are followers of Christ. The problem is that we too often fail to let Him reign in our lives, for “the Lord of Peace Himself gives His peace at all times, and in every situation” (2 Thess. 3:16). We just need to claim it! (Often easier said than done, I know.)

So I created this little piece of art. I'm not super fond of the results, but at least I did something ;)

I have a stash of these library catalogue cards, and I was thinking they might make a good starting point for establishing a regular Word Art Wednesday creative effort. They're small enough to be fairly quick, but big enough to provide space for some artiness and text.

While I created my little WAW piece, DD14 decorated headbands with feathers. Aren't they pretty? (I somehow missed photographing the third one on the head. Oh well!)

Perhaps you'd like to take up the Word Art Wednesday challenge, too?

{this moment}

2011-12-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Participating in SouleMama's meme: {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

{this moment}

One More Piece of Hospital Art

2011-11-30T20:56:00.001-05:00

While having another chemo treatment, I hauled out my art supplies and started to play! (The nurses were full of questions about what I was doing -- and some showed me their latest projects ;) I started with a little canvas on which I had painted a picture I didn't like. At one point I decided that I'd like some of that picture to show through, so I sanded a few spots -- but I'd forgotten that I'd turned the canvas upside down because I thought the way the sewing patterns I'd glued on looked better that way :{ Oops! Some upside down tree branches in a sky on the ground :{

Anyway -- I wasn't sure I really liked the end result.

But then I stuck it in an old frame I found in the basement, and I liked it better.

I'm still not sure I'm fond of my lady -- especially her face -- but as usual, it simply felt good to be creative. It sure made the hours of chemo go by faster! I didn't even have time to finish the little project until I got home.

Have you done any creative therapy lately?

The Virtues of a Vegetable Peeler

2011-11-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we have to get creative with the tools we have on hand, don't we? We recently acquired a lovely Cradle to the Cross wreath, but the candles we purchased were too big. Nothing a trusty vegetable peeler couldn't change! I neglected to take a picture of the featured tool (I can assure you it wasn't my good Pampered Chef one!;) But here's a peek at what a peeler can do :)

That's not a pile of fake finger nails -- it's all the candle wax shavings ;)

Don't you just love the little wooden figure of Mary riding the donkey that moves through the wreath as we count down to Christmas? For lent, there is a figure of Jesus carrying the cross -- and two extensions for the wreath.

Have you gotten creative with any tools lately?

Gratitude Challenge November 20 & AEDM

2011-11-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

Today I'm giving thanks that I serve a God of miracles! Yesterday, the resident oncologist making rounds on the floor felt for the tumour that I had discovered just over a month ago (it was about the size of a grapefruit and very palpable) -- and she couldn't find it!!!! I felt around, and I couldn't find it either! So God is kicking this cancer in me -- the treatments are working and I'm feeling great! I don't know the status of my other tumours, but that one was huge, and now it's not! Hallelujah!

Because my friend down the hall at our hospital "B&B" was recently diagnosed with cancer and also believes in miracles, I painted a little picture for her of an image that continues to stick with me (you'll see virtually the same concept in other work on my blog ;) You can't see the sea salt effect on the background, and I don't like the lettering on the word "miracles" -- I hope it blesses her a bit :) Of course, it will be accompanied by some gum -- a whole pack -- as she seems to enjoy that so much ;)

For what are you giving thanks today?

Art Every Day - November 2011

2011-11-19T17:50:00.000-05:00

My friend Sara sent me a link to some art ideas that were perfect for my art outlet while in the hospital. The links, in case you're interested, are here and here. As usual, they were more challenging than I anticipated and took much of the day (on and off) -- but art therapy is, well, therapeutic -- and I'm in here for healing! (BTW -- don't you love my sham and hand-painted silk pillow case? Such blessings of comfort and colour!)

Gratitude Challenge November 19

2011-11-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for the forced rest and relaxation I am getting because of my cancer. The hospital is not my first choice of venues for such R & R, but choosing to see it as a B & B, where I get to linger over coffee and a magazine with breakfast in bed, my every need is met by others, and the sun beams blessedly in my face for the better part of the day really helps me to appreciate the gift I'm receiving here. While even in this place where I can't "go go go" there don't seem to be enough hours in the day to do the little things I'd like to do (read this book, write that letter, try this art idea, watch that video), I have the freedom to decide what I want to do and when (except maybe shower -- I have to wait for a nurse to unplug me from my IV). Today, my mom visited, and while she read to me from the book I'm reading (cuz she likes the books I read :), I tried my hand at some art activities that my friend Sara sent to me. So I enjoyed Peace and productivity! ;) Even though I cannot sleep well (too many trips to the bathroom -- which is a good thing because it will mean I can go home sooner!), I am enjoying the quiet rest this environment affords.

For what are you grateful today?

Art Every Day - November 18 - More Hospital Art

2011-11-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

While I like to think of myself as an artist, I confess that I lack confidence to tackle any big project that requires any degree of skill. So Kathy Barbro's blog Art Projects for Kids often inspires me with simple projects for my children -- and for me. Last night she posted about a Kandinsky Water Colour activity, and I decided it would be a perfect hospital project for me, especially since it would be fun to make another variation of our Family Art Day Project a couple of years ago.

I didn't have crayons in my Art to Go kit, but I figured oil pastels would have the same resist effect with the water colours. With this Kandinsky painting in front of me, I spent a good deal of time painstakingly painting in my circles, only to decide I didn't like the neat lines and controlled colours. (I wish I'd taken a picture, though, to compare! You'll have to use your imagination.) So I put random blobs of watery paint all over the page and held the paper vertically, letting the paint drip and wander where it willed, bumping into the oil barriers of the pastel lines, and running in different directions. Call me crazy, but I like the effect much better! It is somehow more unified and interesting.

It got me thinking about my tastes in art. Would I be drawn to this kind of art to decorate my home? Mmmmm. Not so much. But I like it! And I think I like it because I look at it and think, "I could do that!" And I like the random, funky nature of it. I think I'm becoming random and funky in my old age! (I hear someone saying, "You mean crazy!" ;)

I also found myself wondering, "What's the point?" It's not like I would frame this and hang it on my wall (except maybe in our art room, where few people go. I'm more likely to recycle it and use it as a background for something else). But I remind myself -- it's the process, not the product. Some people might feel like doing this kind of art is a waste of time. But I do believe in the healing power of art and creativity.

And since I need to heal, and it's fun, I think I'll ignore the voice in my head that says I could find other ways to be more productive. I can't remember who it was that recently reminded me (in a blog post) that Peace is more important than productivity in any given day.

So I will pursue Peace. And letting the Spirit inspire me to be creative is one way I can do that. (Just rediscovering an old book by Brenda Ueland called, If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit. In a letter to her friend, poet Carl Sandburg, she said it was actually "a book about the Holy Spirit." That interests me! I don't know much about either of them, but since I already own the book from years ago, I thought I'd see what she has to say.)

Do you agree that Peace is more important than productivity? If so, how do you pursue Peace?

Gratitude Challenge November 18

2011-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

Today I'm thankful for little luxuries that make my life more comfortable right where I'm at . . . the beautiful bedspread on my hospital bed (thank you again, Susan!) . . . packs of gum to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth . . . lip balm . . . my cozy shawl (thank you again, Helen!) . . . toilet tissue from home (seriously -- it makes a difference!) . . . yellow curtains that reflect and magnify the sunshine . . . my computer . . . my Art-to-Go case . . . books and magazines to read . . . music to soothe the soul . . . little gold slippers given to me by my daughter . . . a book light . . . a lamp with an incandescent bulb . . . natural skin moisturizers . . . an IV pump chord that reaches all the way to the bathroom . . . so many little luxuries . . .

For what are you thankful today?

Blair's Balanced Boost Juice

2011-11-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

When juicing vegetables, it's easy to get one vegetable standing out in strength of flavour, which isn't always very palatable -- especially if you don't follow a recipe. My DH did some juicing for me at lunch time today, and he managed to concoct a perfectly balanced juice blend that I really enjoyed! The vegetables in it are good for boosting the immune system and energy -- hence the name I gave it ;)

Blair's Balanced Boost Juice

3 carrots
2 apples
2 tbsp. pomegranate seeds
1 beet with greens
1 clove garlic

Juice all in an electric juicer, stir, and enjoy!

Let me know if you try it :)

Do you have any favourite juice recipes you could share?

Gratitude Challenge November 16-17

2011-11-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

November 16 - I'm grateful for the Awana program and the tool it provides for teaching my children to hide God's Word in their hearts. I'm also grateful for all the volunteers that run the programs in so many churches internationally -- but especially at the one where our littles attend.

November 17 - Today I am extremely thankful for the team of ladies up in my bedroom as I write. They are blessing me with a room make-over!!!! I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait to enjoy the haven of rest being created up there! I have no before pictures (just trust me -- it was an ugly catch-all room with 10 year-old builder's white paint on the walls) -- but I will post pictures when it is all done :)

For what are you thankful today?

Art Every Day - November 17, 2011

2011-11-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Last night I had some time to just sit with my Art-to-Go case. I looked for some inspiration in a creativity book, but after half an hour of not being inspired, I decided to just go with the flow. My friend Malcolm had said he'd like to see an artist's rendition of The Cat Lady, so I thought I'd give that a whirl, though I really have no clue how to draw (and I told Malcolm that ;). The proof is in the pudding; The Cat Lady is Asian, and my rendition sure doesn't show it. But whatever. The drawing gives an idea of how she would curl up at the end of her bed like a cat.

I gave up on my drawing and decided to just doodle on black lined paper with a silver gel pen.

Nothing terribly inspirational -- but it was fun to just "play" :)

Have you played with anything lately -- just for fun?

Gratitude Challenge November 12-15

2011-11-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

Where do the days go???? My lack of participation in the Gratitude Challenge the last few days is not an indication of my state of mind -- I actually find myself more grateful than ever for all kinds of little (and big!) things. But the days are just slipping by so quickly! Let me catch up now . . .

November 12 - I'm grateful for all the support I've been receiving since I was diagnosed with lymphoma. Family, friends, hospital staff, community care workers, cancer support centers -- it's incredible how much love and support my family and I have received! It's overwhelming (in a good way!), really.

November 13 - I'm thankful for my sisters and brother. We didn't really grow up together, but now that we're all adults (well, kinda ;) we are growing together in spirit. Only one of us six sisters has not joined the Cancer Club, and while that's not a club any of us would choose to be in (or see others join), it has certainly served to unite our hearts. They have become such a blessing to me, and I'm grateful for their presence in my life.

November 14 - I'm grateful for homeschooling. Today I enjoyed some serendipitous learning time with my littles, and I just felt so blessed to be teaching them, learning with them, and spending time with them. It's not always easy, and I have the perpetual plague of comparison to contend with (Are we doing it as well as ___? Are we doing enough? Would it be better if ____?) -- but I'm thankful for the freedom we have to be living a lifestyle of learning.

November 15 - I'm so thankful for the variety of foods that God provided to nourish our bodies. I've been reading a lot about juicing lately, which has enlightened me about the many nutrients housed in fruits and vegetables. Last night I juiced some celery, carrots, parsley and garlic (ooohhh, that made it zingy! -- I had to add an apple to take away some of the garlic's zapping power!). Well, I don't know if it was the juice -- the tomato-parsley salad my friend made for me -- or the leek soup another friend gave me -- but after supper, I had more energy than I've had since my diagnosis! For the first time since I started chemo, I felt like my body was working the way it is supposed to work. I think I'm onto something here, and I'm grateful for the discovery, as well as God's provision.

What are you thankful for today?

Art Every Day - November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T08:59:00.000-05:00

So art has not been happening much lately. Amen. But I did manage to finish some ornaments I started before my diagnosis -- intending to participate in an ornament exchange. (I made these ones as a gift, so the work I did back in September was not for naught;) I made these with my children and their friends years ago -- but I rather like them as an adult activity, too :) They are simply heavy wire shaped by wrapping it around a cookie cutter, then that shape is wrapped with finer wire (I used a silver for the frame and gold for the wrapping). Two of them are then covered in glass beads (just glued on with gel medium). Simple, but pretty -- and prettier in real life :)

Do you have any simple, go-to craft ideas? How about some ornament ideas? I'm always on the look-out for creative ornament ideas.

Gratitude Challenge November 11

2011-11-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

It is only fitting that today I express my gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy in our country -- many of which have come at a cost to people's lives. I am thankful for this country -- Canada -- and for the rich heritage it has of people who have dedicated their lives to serving God and others, even if that has meant their own sacrificial death.

For what are you thankful today?

Gratitude Challenge November 10

2011-11-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'm a relatively new blogger -- I've only been at it for about a year and a half now. But in that time, I have come across some amazing blogs that offer so much inspiration for me as a follower of Christ, a wife, a mother, an artist, and a home maker. So today I am expressing my gratitude for all of the bloggers that inspire me in my faith and journey through life.

I'm listing a few of them in case they might inspire you, as well:

Ann Voskamp @ Holy Experience
Sally Clarkson @ I Take Joy
Kat @ Inspired to Action
Emily @ Chatting at the Sky
Emily @ Imperfect Prose

If you would like to read more about my own spiritual journey as I undergo cancer treatments for aggressive large B cell lymphoma, you're welcome to join my family here at CaringBridge. Incredibly, others have been inspired -- so perhaps you will, too. My hope is that you will see the Holy Spirit at work as you read our story! My sister (of All About You Video Productions) and husband just put together an amazingly beautiful video about the journey so far. I am so blessed!

Gratitude Challenge November 9

2011-11-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

So today I'm expressing gratitude for our fourth child, this cute, little monkey:

He is known for his huge smile, infectious giggle, and mischievous ways. (Today at our visit to the local cancer clinic, a number of people commented how nice it was to hear a child's laughter there!) Boy barbarian through and through, he wields weapons, destroys everything that can be pulled apart -- just because it's possible -- and loudly plays pirate searching for treasure in any pile of dirt he comes upon. Curious and creative, he requires close supervision because those same qualities can get him into some serious trouble ;) One day, though, the traits that are such a challenge to us as parents now will make him a creative genius who will accomplish all kinds of brilliant achievements! (Right???? Tell me it's true!!!! ;)

I'm thankful for his rare cuddles and sometimes begrudging hugs (though they are coming more willingly and frequently these days!) -- and I love the fact that he enjoys reading together at bed time.

He's our feisty Fireglow -- a burning ball of blessing -- and I thank God for making him part of our family!

What are you thankful for today?

Art Every Day - November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

This isn't exactly art, but it's creative -- so that counts, right? ;)

During my weight loss journey, I kept a food and water journal, and was drinking around 14 glasses of water per day. Now that I'm not trying to lose weight anymore, my water consumption has dramatically gone down (to maybe two glasses!). That's not good, especially since I need to be clearing my body of the chemo toxins. So I devised a little tool for keeping track of my water without having to use a pen and paper. It's a craft stick with marked holes. As I drink my water, I move a marker (an elastic band) to the appropriate hole. The whole thing is attached with elastic bands to my water bottle, so it's always handy to keep track.

We'll see if it helps me to be more conscientious in my water consumption.

Do you have any unique ways of keeping track of things you need to do on a regular basis?

Gratitude Challenge November 8

2011-11-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Today I'm giving thanks for my beautiful, bouncy, bubbly Sweet Petunia. She is pure joy most of the time. Her effervescent personality draws people to her, and she loves on them with her whole being! She is not known as our daughter -- we are known as her parents! EVERYBODY knows and loves this girl, and I'm so proud of her efforts to reach out to people and make them feel known and loved. (One of her favourite things to do at church is stick on a "Greeter" pin and welcome everyone to the service. And she's really good at it!)

She's also a great hugger and kisser -- interrupting her play on a regular basis to fill her love tank with cuddles and kisses. I'm so grateful for the ways she brightens my life, and the lives of everyone she meets, with her sweet, loving nature.

This precious girl loves God and wants to pray and be prayed for so she can know Him more. I'm even grateful for the fact that her "dark side" makes me more aware of my own need to let the Holy Spirit produce the Fruit of the Spirit in my life. Her feisty fury sets fire to my fleshly ways, proving I need Him as much as she does in those hard moments ;) She is a blessing no matter which way the winds of her passion blow!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Challenge November 7

2011-11-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

Today I want to express my gratitude for my DS12 (almost 13). Very different from DD14 in many ways, he, too, is funny, creative, and insightful. He's not often a talker, but when he does talk, it's easy to see he is a deep thinker and feeler -- and I can relate to those traits (though the boy brain is beyond my comprehension ;) . He's really "growing up" these days. Even a month ago, I would never have imagined him going downtown to feed the hungry with our church. But that's what he did on Saturday. Not only did he go down there -- he went down there on his own (i.e. without a familiar family member. Of course he was with people from our church, and we felt good knowing Pastor Peter was hanging with him -- but such an experience is waaaaaaaaay out of his usual comfort zone!). I suspected that his withdrawn nature might mean he wouldn't particularly enjoy the experience, but he said it was "Awesome!" and that he definitely wants to go again. That makes me a proud mama!

I prayed for his presence in our family, and am so blessed to have him for a son. I thank God for him and the ways I grow and learn because of him. He has helped shape me as a person, and I think I'm" better" because of my boy.

Serving dinner at "Feed the Hungry". Now if only HE would eat as much salad as he was serving!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Challenge November 6

2011-11-06T08:25:00.001-05:00

Based on this post, you may be able to anticipate the next three things I'm thankful for -- but don't let that stop you from reading ;)

I am thankful for my 14-year-old daughter. She's smart, witty, courageous, compassionate, creative, and delightfully affectionate. She has some things to figure out about the world (don't we all!) -- but God's going to use her in mighty ways one day -- I just know it. She is the child I longed for when my womb was empty -- and she has been a blessing her whole life. Now, it's worth bearing in mind that my definition of a blessing is "anything that brings us closer to God" -- and she has done so in both sweet and sorrowful ways! ;) But even when I'm driven to my knees as her parent, I am eternally grateful for her presence in my life. I hope one day she will grasp the depth of that truth.

What are you thankful for today?

Art Every Day - November 5, 2011

2011-11-05T20:24:00.000-04:00

So art every day has been a little bit unattainable -- but I saw this cute idea at Art Projects for Kids and since DD9 had some friends over today -- and it looked simple -- I thought we'd try it. It took (me especially!) a lot longer than I anticipated, but we all enjoyed the basic drawing and colouring activity. There's something soothing about applying colour to paper with markers.

Here is DD9's cat:

Her 9-year-old friend's:

And her 7-year-old friend's:

And mine:

Any thoughts on what we might do with these cute kitties?

Gratitude Challenge November 1-5

2011-11-05T11:43:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I determined to participate in a Gratitude Challenge with Brenda Emmett for the month of November -- and promptly forgot about it! So, I have five days to catch up on in this post ;) Shouldn't be hard, though!

November 1 - I am thankful for Sunnybrook Hospital, and the caring medical staff there. I spent most of the month of October as a patient there, and I felt very well-cared for -- physically, emotionally, and even spiritually (the chaplain visited several times, and made a point of personally inviting everyone on the floor to the weekly tea time. He also made himself available for any of our spiritual needs.) I have been impressed by the staff's interest in the whole person -- as evidenced by the fact that the oncology pharmacist wrote away to a world-renowned pop star on behalf of one of the patients, and that musical icon, in turn, sent her a t-shirt and some dvds! Even the cleaning staff takes extra special care of the patients! (I'm thinking of how thoroughly my Art Lady cleaned my whole area when she was called to simply clean up a spill that was attracting dirt.) I feel very blessed to be receiving top-notch medical treatment (with a team approach) in a clean, comfortable environment.

November 2 - I am thankful for my awesome husband. He is no ordinary guy. He's kind, creative, romantic, spiritually sensitive, insightful, funny, self-less, and incredibly hard-working. He has been a solid rock for our family, running hither and yon to ensure that everyone is well-taken-care-of and that life is as "normal" as possible for everyone while our world is turned upside down by my cancer diagnosis and treatments. Truly, he's the best husband and father a woman could dream of being married to -- just look at him:

I can't imagine doing life without him, and am so grateful God brought him into my life so early (grade 8). I am so blessed by my beloved!

November 3 - I am thankful for an amazing church family. Every once in a while we think about moving -- going somewhere far away where the pace of life might be a little slower, less demanding. But then we think about the fact that we'd have to leave our church peeps behind -- and suddenly the thought of moving is not so appealing. We have an awesome, Spirit-led pastoral staff (with equally wonderful wives!) and a fabulous congregation of people who do life together in a rich and real way. I love them all!

November 4 - While I'm not "happy" to have cancer, I'm grateful for the opportunity it is giving me to reflect on life and my faith -- and to share my testimony of how God is working in my life. (I'm doing that here, if you're interested in reading about our faith journey through cancer.) I'm also grateful for the way it has revealed how much people care about me and my family. It feels so good to be overwhelmed by LOVE!

November 5 - I'm thankful for sunny fall days. I missed most of October, but these crisp, bright days full of fall foliage are some of my favourite days of the year. They make me happy to be alive!

What are you thankful for today?

{this moment}

2011-11-04T15:46:00.000-04:00

Joining SouleMama . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (Amanda Soule)

Art Every Day - November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T22:50:00.001-04:00

Today is the beginning of Art Every Day Month at Creative Every Day. I don't know if I'll be able to meet the challenge every day -- but today I had the opportunity to sit in a hotel lobby and work on some of the exercises in my Drawing Lab book.

The first exercise was to draw something with a single line -- and to make several attempts at it. I guess the Cat Lady is still on my mind, so I went with cats . . .

The second exercise I tried was called "Picasso Dog." The task was to draw an eye, another larger eye, a snout/nose, a paw, and a tail -- turning the page clockwise 90 degrees after each body part, and then connecting them with lines. The example was coloured, so I used some Coptic markers and water colour pencils to add some colour to mine. Can't say Picasso is my style, but it was a fun exercise, nonetheless.

And since I still felt like playing, I used water colour pencils to make a feline version of my Cat Lady ;) Perhaps one day I'll be brave enough to try a human version. (I wish I'd taken a picture of her -- but since she suffers from dementia, I'm not sure that would have been ethical.)

By the end of the day, DD9 wanted to spend some cuddle time on the couch learning how to do some sketching. So she tried her hand at some of the exercises in my book, too:

Might you join me in participating in Art Every Day Month? Don't be shy! "If you don't do something, you'll have nothing!" ;)

More Hospital Art

2011-10-26T21:52:00.000-04:00

I was really tired today, but restless, and I figured my Art Lady might return from her day off tomorrow and ask me if I'd done anything so that I could at least "have something" -- so I did these:

I felt like playing with pastels, and this image of (kinda) me holding up my hands before the bright light of the Holy Spirit was stuck in my head -- so I went with that. It kinda reminds me of the painting that I did last year -- "This Life was Meant to Shine." Totally different significance, though very similar concept of imagery.

As you can see, I was multi-tasking. Great set-up, don't you think? Home office/art studio -- all on a hospital bed table!

I still felt like playing, and wanted to draw a tree for some reason -- but wasn't sure how to go about making one that, well, I would like. I looked for some images online to inspire me and decided to go with some basic birch trees. I liked the idea of them standing bright in the pitch black night. The caption is "Brightness in the black of night" -- sorry for the lousy photography!

Are there any images that speak to you in some way these days?

Hospital Art

2011-10-24T17:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I wasn't sure I'd be inspired to actually create some art today -- but I opened my Art to Go case and started pulling things out anyway. I took a quick look at an art journaling book my Mom gave me for my birthday, and decided I'd do something along those lines. The prompt that caught my eye was about gratitude -- totally up my alley these days. But the collage images (from old calendars) that I had on hand were of cats. Having experienced a wonderful woman I call The Cat Lady here in the hospital, I knew my journal page was going to have to be about her! (You can read about her antics on my CaringBridge website if you're interested.)

Here is the result of my play (sorry the bottom of the picture is a bit over-exposed, making it a blur of white):

While I was working, a lady named Hilde came around emptying the garbage. When she saw my art supplies spread out, she began to ask questions about what I was painting -- and I got all embarrassed about my lack of artistic expertise. She examined some of the calendar paintings and made intelligent observations about them -- and I felt even more artistically challenged. It turns out that she had taken care of the last living member of the Group of Seven, A.J. Casson! She said he always told her "You need to learn to draw before you can paint." We chatted some more about preferences in art -- she loves nature as a subject, but there must be a building of some sort in the painting -- and she encouraged me in what I described as my art therapy. She said, "If you don't do anything, you will have nothing! Just do something!"

So, I did something :)

Have you done "something" lately -- even though you didn't know what you were setting out to do?

Throwing Anonymity to the Wind

2011-10-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog, I thought it was prudent to be fairly anonymous. You know -- it's the internet and all. But as my involvement in online activities has spread, it has been more of a challenge to be known in cyberspace simply as "xinme" -- which stands for "Christ in me." And since I value all my readers and "cyber friends," it has pained me not to be able to keep up lately with this special space I've come to love. So, at the suggestion of my almost-teen son, I'm throwing anonymity to the wind and inviting you all to visit with our family over at our CaringBridge site. Yes, it's a medical update site -- but it has miraculously become so much more than that! Real names, real people, and a REAL GOD doing awesome things in and through people. Both my husband and I are journaling there -- writing from the heart about this cancer journey and what it means to us all physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The Creator in us has never been more evident :) Perhaps you'd like to join us there?

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paulapike

I am currently writing to you from the hospital (which DH and friends have helped to make as homey as possible!). In a few hours I will be given a dose of highly toxic Methotrexate -- and then tomorrow (I think) they will start to clean that back out of me. I'll be here for at least three days. But I brought my Art to Go case with me this time -- so maybe I'll have something to post here soon after all! :)

Blessings on you all!

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-10-10T12:00:00.001-04:00

When the Temple is Defiled

Descriptions of the old testament temple, where the Spirit of God dwelt, are very impressive. The temple was a fabulous work of art, finely crafted with the most precious materials. It took seven long years to construct with detailed precision.

But that temple is long gone. Where, then, does the Spirit of God dwell now?

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Ah, yes -- the Creator in me! My body, too, is finely crafted -- an impressive masterpiece of design. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus . . ." (Ephesians 2:10). I am the carefully created temple of the Holy God!

But what happens when the body is defiled? What if the body is battered by abuse -- inflicted by self or external forces? What if the flesh is devastated by disease? Is a person who has been ravaged by sin, Satan, and the world any less inhabitable by a Mighty, Holy God?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. 1 Corinthians 6:19

But [you] are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

If we are followers of Christ, the Spirit of God dwells in us -- with no restrictions on the condition of the body! Is that not awesome to think about?

While I have never intended my blog to be a personal journal, I will tell you that I happen to be awaiting a diagnosis regarding multiple tumours and swollen lymph glands. Potentially very scary stuff -- and yet I have been overwhelmed with a sense of Peace knowing that right along with whatever is wreaking havoc in my body is the Spirit of God! The Great Physician! The Life! Never has the title of my Monday meme had more significance to me than it does now. My temple may be defiled by the effects of sin in this world -- but it is no less the dwelling place of my Creator and Saviour. I take joy in that!

Have you felt less powerful because your temple is defiled? Have you felt less worthy because of it? Rejoice with me in the knowledge that the Spirit of God dwells in His followers no matter what the condition of this temporal form!

P.S. I apologize for neglecting my blog of late. Now you have an inkling why . . .;)

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-09-26T11:56:00.001-04:00

Dreams Fulfilled -- and Back to Reality

It has taken me a few weeks to reach this point -- the point at which I can maybe begin to describe our meeting of Jeanci. It has been a struggle to process our El Salvador experiences, and especially coming face-to-face -- in her very own world -- with the little girl we've been sponsoring for seven years. I've been wrestling with what God wants me to do with it all. I can totally relate to Kat, one of the Philippines Compassion Bloggers, and her unflowing fountain of expression -- I've wanted to write, but the well of words has been dry. I'm still not sure they'll spring forth . . .

Perhaps I should begin by simply describing the day -- like a narration of events. We (as a missions group with King's Castle Ministries) had been stationed at a little church in Candelaria, two hours away from Jeanci's community. We were driven by Joe, one of the King's Castle workers, to meet our Compassion translator and driver on the side of a highway because they didn't know how to get to where we were. The thought of waiting on the side of a highway in El Salvador was a little nerve-wracking -- but absolutely unnecessarily so because Joe took impeccable care of us. He even insisted that the Compassion people show identification before he let us get out of the car.

Being an incredibly supportive and safety-conscious mission, King's Castle also sent a Master's Commission national with us for the day. As she snoozed and plugged herself into her ipod, I was concerned that it would be a boring day for her, and felt badly that we were taking her from the team in Candelaria. But as we travelled, she suddenly perked up and asked where exactly we were going. As it turned out, we were going to her home town!!! She was able to call her sister, who met us for lunch! So, God had in mind to bless yet another person with our trip.

When we arrived in Jeanci's town, we were taken first to the Compassion project. That was a challenge in itself, as the driver didn't know exactly where it was, so the translator (Ruth) hopped out and knocked on a barred door to ask someone for directions. The owner of that house ended up getting in the van -- holding a toddler -- and accompanying us to the project.

Upon arriving at the project, I tried to turn on the video camera we'd brought especially to record the day's events -- and it refused to power on. The battery was dead. Was the loss of our gift for Jeanci not enough of a frustration and disappointment? I had my still camera with limited video capacity, but DD14 had left her camera back at the castle. What could we do?

In actuality, it was very difficult to take pictures/video AND be engaged in meeting people. So I was happy to hand my camera to Carla, our Master's Commission national, who took pictures for us. In addition, the sponsorship co-ordinator at the project took a gazillion pictures and sent them to us via our translator. So kind and thoughtful!

The children who were in attendance at the Compassion project when we arrived were all ready with a grand greeting! They are dressed for their afternoon shift at public school.

Once we had been welcomed by the attending children and introduced to the Compassion project staff, we were taken to Jeanci's home so that we could bring her back to the project for a tour of the facilities in her company. Seeing the road down which Jeanci travels by foot to engage in project activities -- and anything else outside of her immediate community -- was moving in itself. There were piles of garbage and debris -- huge mud puddles -- and rocky obstacles to navigate the whole way. Eventually, we had to leave the van and travel by foot.

We arrived at her back gate, which she wrestled to untie. It's good that I couldn't really see into her yard or home -- I was able to concentrate on meeting her and her parents. It was awkward and sweet and wonderful all at the same time. I managed to smile lots and not cry.

Back at the project, we had a tour of the classrooms and learned about all the activities Jeanci has been able to participate in over the years. Ruth sat me down and gave a thorough explanation of the seven years' worth of reports on Jeanci's physical, emotional, developmental, social, and spiritual growth while DD14 played soccer and volleyball with Jeanci and some of the other children. I also learned that part of the reason Jeanci qualified for the Compassion project was that her family earned $82.32 per month. Per month. Mind-boggling to me.

I didn't notice the great playground reminder until after I posted this! See the words on the cement? Jesus is Lord!

One of the things that impressed me most about the information session with Ruth and the other Compassion workers was the fact that our support of Jeanci is not limited to just her. In order for their child to be sponsored, her parents are required to participate in monthly meetings geared to educating and supporting them in their role as parents. As someone who recognizes the value of support in the hardest job in the world, I think that is awesome. And of course, Jeanci can only benefit from this support.

As we chatted about Jeanci's sponsorship, I told the story of how we had been praying for a missions trip and God had provided the opportunity to go to El Salvador with our church, which meant that we would likely be able to meet Jeanci. As soon as we committed to the trip, we received a letter from Jeanci saying she would like for us to visit -- something she'd never expressed before. The workers teared up with goosebumps on their skin and told us how Jeanci had flitted around like a butterfly, so excited was she when our letter arrived telling her we were coming. It was my turn to tear up then -- and even now -- as I am awed by how much our visit meant to her.

After our time at the project, we were taken back to Jeanci's house to meet her family and see her home. Walking down the lane to the front of her house, it was a struggle for me to hold back the tears. Part of the struggle came from the knowledge that Jeanci is one of the "lucky ones" -- she has a government-funded home with cinderblock walls. It, like so many other homes in El Salvador, is a glorified lean-to with only three walls, a roof that is weighted with rocks and sticks to keep it from blowing off, and mud floors that are dampened by the rain that must flow in from the sloping back yard, to which the back of the house is open. It has electricity, but no running water. Water for drinking, bathing, and cooking needs to be hauled from a community tap, but it is not potable water. There are makeshift lean-tos for animals in the backyard, and an outhouse with a curtain for privacy. The inside of the house is one room divided by hanging curtains and clothes, and the roof extends on one exterior wall to provide a shelter for storage of things that don't fit in the home, like the drums that house the corn and beans the family grows for food and income. The kitchen was dark -- black from the smoke of their wood-burning stovetop, which was a hole in a rock with a grate on top. Vents to the outside also held little bags of stuff -- herbs, spices -- I don't know what. Jeanci's mom and was making tortillas for the boys working in the field, so Jeanci showed DD14 how to roll the dough properly.

Jeanci in the front of her house with dad, nephew, mom, and sister

The washing area (laundry, dishes, etc.)

Back yard with curtained outhouse

Kitchen -- wood-burning stove top

In the kitchen making tortillas

It was so hard to absorb everything, take pictures (with permission -- but I still felt uncomfortable doing it), and communicate with people all at the same time. It was all very overwhelming -- but I remember wondering what it must be like to live this way. It's "normal" for so many El Salvadorians, and yet it just seemed like such a hard life. How was it that people still seemed so happy -- many so genuinely joyful. (Jeanci's mother did not; she seemed sad. Her eyes and bare smile still haunt me. But perhaps " we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants./ Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not/ be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not/ be fashioned so miraculously well . . ." [Jack Gilbert])

Because we had to hurry to lunch and then back to the project for a presentation by the children, we didn't get to spend much time at Jeanci's house -- and she had to leave her gift to open later. I'm quite certain that was difficult for her! But at the same time, it was exciting for her to go to a restaurant for lunch -- something that rarely happens in her life. (Once per year, in the month of their birthday, the sponsored children are taken to a restaurant where they can enjoy bottomless cups of pop and a hamburger.)

From the restaurant we went back to the project, where Jeanci led the children in some songs in honour of our coming, and then presented us with gifts. That blew me away!

All too soon we were whisked away to meet Scott, our King's Castle missions co-ordinator (he went hours out of his way on our behalf), who was to take us back to our team in Candelaria. (He further demonstrated his awesomeness and generosity by going hours out of his way the next day, too, to deliver a birthday cake for DD14!) The two hour drive back was quiet. Carla was glowing from her reunion with her sister, and DD14 and I were emotionally drained by our experience.

It wasn't until we got back to our camp and my friend Bev asked me if it was what I expected (a much easier question to answer than "How was your day?") that I burst into tears. It was what I expected on some level, but not what I'd hoped. I was overwhelmed by how hard life must be for most El Salvadorians. I had hoped that somehow, life would be different for Jeanci and her family.

Don't get me wrong. It was easy to see how Compassion (and our financial support) had assisted her and made her life better. But that life was still. so. hard. No refrigeration. Doing laundry and dishes in a hollowed-out piece of cement -- open to the skies -- to which the water had to be hauled. Cooking every meal over an open fire. Living, eating, and sleeping all in the same room as a whole family. Walking miles to the nearest town. It just seems like a life of endless. effort.

And now that I've lived a dream of meeting our special child in a distant country and I'm home, back to the reality of my life -- which is easy in terms of conveniences, but hard it its own ways -- I wonder what I'm supposed to do. I was blessed to have a "life-changing experience" -- but I just don't know how my life should be different.

In some ways, the reality is simply that life. is. hard. It doesn't matter what part of the world we live in, we're all broken people in need of Jesus. (That's what I like about Compassion: they recognize that it's not all about money -- "The difference is Jesus." )

But while I live my hard life, I can still apply Galations 6:10:

"So, then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people."

And, just a few verses back, Galations 6:2:

"Bear one another's burdens."

My challenge, I think, is to find ways to do that -- not just for people across the continents in El Salvador -- but right here in my home town. Should I intensify my efforts to support Jeanci and her family, and perhaps others like them? Absolutely! (You can bet my letters will be far more frequent and personal from now on -- for starters!) But I need to be bearing the burdens of my neighbours as well, taking opportunities to do good to them, too.

If you've stuck with me to this point in my post, I'm grateful for your indulgence of my wrestling through the work God is doing in my heart! As you can tell by the length of this post, once I turned the tap on, the words did flow. Does any of it apply to you? (I think it does ;)

What are some specific ways we can be bearing one another's burdens and doing good to all people?

Might you consider sponsoring a child yourself?

{this moment}

2011-09-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

Participating in SouleMama's Friday meme . . .

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at SouleMama for all to find and see." - Amanda Soule

AIMS Getting Into Geometry - Product Review

2011-09-21T21:33:00.001-04:00

I received a pdf version of this product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Description (from website)

Grades K-1
48 activities—264 pages

Triangles, rectangles, and squares jump off the pages as the activities in Getting Into Geometry have students using movement and their senses to learn the names and attributers of two-dimensional shapes. Early learners will step out the shapes, use scarves to draw them in the air, and make shape snakes out of fuzzy chenille stems. They will also find shapes in their world—on the bus, in the classroom, outdoors, and in photographs.

Once they have learned the 2-D shapes, students will compose them into other shapes like tangram trees, planes, animals, etc., helping them understand that the shape remains the same regardless of its orientation. Cutting, folding, and painting are used to teach children about line symmetry.
Moving to three-dimensional solids, young learners will compare and contrast their basic attributes. They will relate the 3-D objects to their 2-D picture representations and will combine 3-D solids to create new solids.

A section is included on spatial relationships in which students describe the relative positions of objects using terms such as “in front of,” “behind,” “next to,” “above,” and “below.” Finally, there is a section of playful practice that uses games to reinforce concepts learned throughout the book.

Cost: $24.95

Also available in hard copy with CD for the same price (plus shipping).

AIMS Education Foundation is a "non-profit foundation" that provides hands-on math and science resources designed to develop conceptual understanding. They offer activity books, state-specific science resources, multi-media math resources, e-activities, professional development, manipulatives, and homeschool resources. While most of their products are for sale, they offer free activities and a monthly newsletter with puzzles, games, and activities geared to user-selected grade ranges. They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

While my intention was to use Getting into Geometry with my DS5, fun cannot be had by him without DD8 wanting to engage as well. She knows her shapes well enough, but she is a kinesthetic learner, and the hands-on stuff she saw her brother doing were irresistible to her. So the three of us have been having fun making models with play dough and straws . . .

. . . while learning that some shapes simply can't be made with those materials, but can be made with something like yarn:

We've explored corners and edges with chenille "snakes" (I thought they needed googly eyes if they were really going to be snakes we named Sid and Sammy and Slither):

And unlike using straws and play dough, we learned that chenille stems can be bent into virtually any shape we want . . .

We also got a kick out of using our whole bodies to make big shapes with streamers while bopping to the beat of some music . . .

All of these activities came from just the first few lessons of Getting into Geometry. We're excited about what's to come . . . making puzzles with tangrams, symmetry art projects, exploring how solids move on the flat floor and down slopes, and playing concentration games to identify 2-D shapes and 3-D solids -- just to name a few of the things we have to look forward to doing together, mostly with items we have around the house.

While Getting into Geometry does seem geared to a classroom setting, it is very easy to modify for the homeschool environment. I am impressed with the layout of lessons, each specifying the following categories of information:

Topic

Key Question

Learning Goal

Guiding Documents (US benchmarks and standards)

Math (terminology)

Integrated Processes (such as observing, classifying, comparing/contrasting)

Materials

Background Information

Management

Procedure

Connecting Learning (key questions)

Extensions (sometimes including web resources)

I also appreciate the subject integration approach in that some lessons employ the use of music, science, and literature to develop conceptual understanding. While some lessons involve the student recording information, Getting into Geometry is not a common workbook. It really is a great teaching and learning resource that we will continue to enjoy using.

Thank you to AIMS and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for the opportunity to review this product.

Art Journal Pages - My First Swap

2011-09-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

First of all, if you are one of the 10 participants in the christian paper artists yahoo group's art journal page swap -- you may want to skip this post so that you can be surprised by what arrives in your mailbox :)

For the rest of you, I thought I would share the pages that I made for my very first art swap! The idea was to create 10 art journal pages and send them to the host, who will assemble and bind together one from each participant before mailing them back. Of course, the naysayer in me had a hard time even signing up for the swap, but I'm glad I did. It took MUCH longer than I anticipated to make my pages, but I think that's because I tend to think too much about it all -- AND because I decided to decorate the backs of all my pages, which really meant I was making 20 journal pages instead of 10. Anyway, here are the results -- largely influenced by my spiritual journey this summer. Each front is followed by its back side:

I recycled some work that I've done in the past, which made the process a bit faster. But I still felt like I was rushing through at the end to meet the deadline. Oh, how good it felt to be making art, though! I'm thinking about participating in a Christmas ornament swap -- it's just the time factor that worries me. I still feel guilty taking time to be creative.

Anyway -- I'm really excited to see what appears in my mailbox in a few weeks! Art swaps are such a cool idea -- committing to making art AND getting real mail from other artists all over the world! How sweet is that???

Have you ever participated in an art swap -- or any other kind of creativity exchange? What were your experiences?

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-09-19T12:15:00.001-04:00

Creative Comfort

For me, this summer has been a time of deeper discovery about what it means to have the Creator in me. I guess you could say that Truth which has long been resident in my head is taking hold in my heart. I like that. It's a really hard process, but I'm grateful for it.

Lately I've been dwelling a lot (mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) on the Holy Spirit aspect of God -- and in the wee hours of this morning, as I stroked the fevered head of my DD9 and she sweetly thanked me for taking such good care of her, it occurred to me that my actions were evidence of the Creator in me. Verses like these came to mind:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever (John 14:16).

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).

At 3:00 a.m., I knew that it was God the Comforter working in and through me --"teaching me all things" -- to make me a loving, comforting mama because I really wanted my bed. But it also got me thinking about ways that I make a conscious effort to be a comforter to my children, and wrestle with my flesh to let the Comforter Spirit work through me because I know that's what I'm called to do. I'll be honest and say that it doesn't always come naturally to me to be a comforter. But, inspired by real people like Sally Clarkson and Ann Voskamp, I have come to appreciate my need to be deliberate in my demonstrations of comfort -- to be creative in my endeavours to make my family feel better about life when they're "down" in some way.

So, when someone is sick, we have a tradition of trying to make sickness sweeter with the delivery of meals in bed on a specially decorated tray:

When emotions are big and blustery, we have a basket of books in a quiet corner -- a place to meet Peace, often in the comfort of a cuddle.

Perhaps it's not a good thing -- at least for our waistlines -- but comfort often involves food in our home. When someone has had a bad day, smiles surface at the sight of a special snack. I know better than to offer a cookie as a quick fix for a scraped knee -- but sometimes a specially presented little treat helps to sweeten a sour day.

Occasionally, bad-day-blues are blown away with a good read-aloud book -- especially by candlelight on the front porch on a cool summer evening.

But outside of the standard hugs and kisses -- and of course prayers -- offered in teary times, I have to say I'm hard-pressed to think of other creative comfort ideas. I suspect the Creator Comforter might be willing to change that if I have the wherewithal to ask next time -- especially if I'm not feeling particularly sympathetic with the one craving comfort. I'll have to make a conscious effort to do that.

In the meantime, do you have any creative ideas for providing comfort to those you love? I would love for you to share your ideas and experiences in the comments below. Let's inspire each other, shall we?

When You Do This, Remember Me

2011-09-18T21:53:00.000-04:00

If you'be read my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that symbols are important to me. Easter, Advent, our Blessing Meal -- all are steeped in traditional symbols that hold spiritual significance in our family.

This morning at church, our pastor prefaced our communion time with the observation that when Jesus used the analogy of His body being bread and His blood wine, and told His disciples to remember Him every time they partook of those elements, He was asking them to think about His sacrifice daily. Bread and wine were staples of the disciples' diet -- things they would consume probably once per day (at least). This meant Jesus was wanting His followers to reflect on Him -- His life, death, and resurrection -- every time they ate.

Do we do that? Sure, we say grace around here -- but we don't really reflect daily on God's broken body and shed blood and all that means for us today.

So this afternoon as I prepared dinner, I decided to make up a little "symbol set" that we can easily place on the table each day -- just a goblet and a small loaf of bread (retrieved from our Easter basket) -- with some little glass grapes for colour :) (Note: DH sewed the placemat years ago -- before children. I stumbled upon it while looking for a doily or something to put under the symbols.)

Do you have any symbols or devices that you use to trigger thoughts about Christ's sacrifice?

The Wonders of Photo Editing

2011-09-18T21:01:00.000-04:00

I haven't had a chance to do much with any of the photos from our trip to El Salvador, but my DH has been creating masterpieces with some of them using Picnik. The plain photos are lovely in themselves, but he has highlighted some features and added text that reinforces some of the Truths that have come out of our experiences . . .

Vida x vida means "a life for a life." Christ gave His life for us, and we give ours for Him.

I especially like how he minimized my wrinkles ;)

Pretty cool, eh? If you've never tried editing any of your pictures, I encourage you to try because it's lots of fun! (DH printed these photos as posters and laminated them -- for his office, our learning lab, and DD14's bedroom. They are an awesome reminder of our special trip and are really helping to keep the memories alive.) You can download a free version of Picassa 3, which enables you to use Picnik as well.

Let me know if you try it!

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-09-12T10:00:00.003-04:00

A Lesson Learned from the Selfishness of Selflessness

When my daughter and I sent out letters of request for sponsorship of our missions trip to El Salvador, one person declined a tax receipt from our church because he believed the trip was more for personal growth and development than service to the Salvadorians. At first I was stunned. How could he think that?

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was truth in what he said. Granted, we were giving of personal time and resources, leaving loved ones, comfort, and security to spend nine days making fools of ourselves for the sake of the gospel -- which meant we were sacrificing our selves for the eternal benefit of those who chose to respond to our programs.

But in the grand scheme of things, it seemed like we, the missionaries, were significant beneficiaries.

In giving love to the sweet children, we were blessed with expanded hearts that yearn to reach more people with the gospel of Christ.

A little girl who shares my name:)

In praying for the children's needs, we received the blessing of witnessing miracles that multiplied our faith a thousandfold. And we learned how to pray -- really cry out to God -- for extended periods of time without being distracted.

We had the opportunity to deepen existing relationships -- and start new friendships that are bound to bless beyond measure as we wend our way through life as a church family, and as a global family of God.

And we were able to experience many aspects of a wonderful country and culture -- some heart-wrenching, some exhilarating.

How many people do you see engaging in the country's "recycling program" in this photo?

There is no doubt in my mind that God intended for my daughter and me to go to El Salvador on this missions trip and that God did, indeed, use us to bless some of the Salvadorians (especially our Compassion Canada child, Jeanci, and her family).

But if I'm absolutely honest, I have to admit that my motives were not all selfless. I wanted something from this trip. No, it wasn't about "Christian tourism" -- going on a missions trip as a way to "see the world." But I wanted my daughter to gain a new perspective on life, and I wanted us both to have a serious spiritual awakening. I wanted God to do something in and for us. And frankly, I think that was what drove me to leave my comfort zone -- not any noble desire to serve Salvadorians.

For a while I felt guilty about that. It seemed wrong, somehow, to be going to another country to serve others with an ulterior motive. When I looked around at all the poverty, I got mad at myself for being so self-centred, as well as confused that God had "blessed" me so abundantly and the Salvadorians seemingly less so -- and how could I be so ungrateful, wanting more than what God had already given me?

But then God used one of those new relationships -- my precious new sisterhood with a lady on our team named Bev -- to show me that it was not about "us" serving "them" because of their great need. She pointed out that when God looks at Salvadorians, He doesn't see poverty -- He sees brokenness -- lives that need Jesus. What does He see when He looks at North Americans? Wealth and abundance? Nope -- brokenness -- lives that need Jesus. It's not about the "more abundantly blessed" serving the "less blessed" at all. It's about sharing the Love of Christ and letting HIM do the healing of all our hearts.

It makes sense, then, that we would be blessed by our experience. The Love of Jesus flows in more than one direction. And it makes sense that I would want something from the experience. After all, I am no less broken or in need of Jesus than any person we danced before, sang to, prayed over, or loved on in El Salvador.

So, I think I can be selfish in my brokenness and still be selfless in my service.

What do you think?

Linking up at:

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-09-05T15:53:00.000-04:00

God's Gifts: When "Enough" Doesn't Seem Like Enough

Perhaps you know the verses I've grown up knowing . . .

My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness . . . (2 Corinthians 12:9)

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus . . . (Philippians 4:19)

We know with our minds that God gives us what we need, but do we know it with our hearts?

This past week, I became aware of just how little I truly live the truth that God supplies all our needs. Like Adam and Eve wanting more than the abundance God had given them, I found myself questioning the sufficiency of God's gifts -- not just for myself, but for people around me.

It all started at the airport in El Salvador. Our family had worked hard to collect gifts for our sponsored child, Jeanci, including some homemade gifts lovingly made with her in mind. We had packed them in my carry-on bag to ensure their safety; if the bag was with me, it couldn't get lost in the baggage department and inadvertently sent somewhere else, and maybe even lost forever.

But in the brief moment when I turned to get our suitcase off the conveyor belt, someone took the bag. I'd like to think it was an accident because there was another bag left in its stead. But I found the owner of the bag that was left -- and my bag never surfaced, even after an hour of airport authorities trying to help me find it.

While I managed to hold back the tears and whisper an amen ("so be it"), I found myself asking God why? Why did I get to have all my stuff in El Salvador, but Jeanci -- with so much need in her life -- was robbed of the little bit we'd brought her? How could there be no gift for her?

As it turned out, the awesome people with whom we traveled generously donated all kinds of toys, clothes (one woman even gave the shoes on her feet -- which I suspect were a perfect fit for Jeanci!) and school supplies, and I was able to buy some food at a local grocery store. I ultimately acknowledged that God knew better than I what she needed, and He provided it for her. But I struggled with His gift for her; it just didn't seem right that someone else had the special things that were meant specifically for her (at least in our minds).

Then, on our bus ride to the camp where we were staying, I was bombarded with images that made me question the equity of the gifts I've been given compared to what the people of El Salvador have been given:

* a man holding on to the back of a full bus traveling 80km/hr down a highway
* people riding on top of produce in a big, open truck on the the highway
* whole communities (including chickens, dogs, and laundry lines) built from scrap wood and corrugated metal shelters in the green space between opposing lanes of traffic
* open trucks filled with standing people packed like sardines
* walls lined with shards of glass to deter intruders
* armed militia standing next to lean-to communities
* people rooting through piles of garbage

I found myself asking, why is my country so wealthy, while this country is so poverty-stricken?
Why do the material gifts I have received seem so much more plentiful than what the Salvadorians have received? God's gifts to them just seemed so insufficient to me.

But who am I to evaluate sufficiency? Who am I to judge the Giver?

My arrogance was driven home on Wednesday. My husband, who had given my daughter and me each a hand-written note with a verse for every day of our trip, had penned 1 Samuel 12:16 for that day:

Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

Because we had been challenged to watch for miracles throughout the week, I was sure that this would be the day I would witness some extra-special, supernatural power. So I stood (that's what the verse told me to do;) and watched -- and waited. While I was standing there, a lady (in fact the very lady in yellow in the picture below) pulled me aside.

She asked for prayer for a little girl who had a lot of tooth pain. In her little mouth were several huge cavities. I'd heard the day before of a woman with visible sores on her hands being healed completely in the course of a prayer, and I believed that God could not only remove this little girl's pain, but He could make her teeth whole again, if He chose. So that's what I prayed He would do.

But He didn't.

By the end of our prayer time, the little girl was free of pain, but her teeth still had cavities. That saddened me -- made me question God. But really, who am I to question His gifts? The woman had asked for prayer about the little girl's pain -- and God had answered her prayer. Why was that gift good enough for her, but not for me?

Perhaps when we're blessed with much, we demand much. Perhaps we become less satisfied, and like Adam and Eve, ask for more -- more than what God has already given. I don't think it matters that we're not asking for more for ourselves -- we're asking for more than what God has given, and are discontent when He doesn't give what we think is necessary.

But if God's word is true (and I believe it is), then I need to accept the truth of these verses:

My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness . . . (2 Corinthians 12:9)

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus . . . (Philippians 4:19)

His grace and His goodness are enough. We may fail to see the fullness of His provisions, but that's our own vision problem, not His lack of benevolence.

So I'm praying that God will open my eyes so that I can truly see His gifts for what they are. I know in my mind that "enough" is enough -- and I'm ready for it to sink into my heart.

Do you question God's gifts? Does "enough" sometimes seem like it's not enough? Do you believe God when He says He will provide for all your needs?

{this moment}

2011-09-03T16:29:00.001-04:00

Participating in . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments [at SouleMama] for all to find and see.

- Amanda Soule

Jeanci kept latching on to DD14's hand throughout the day. It was a precious sight.

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-08-29T12:30:00.001-04:00

Best Homeschool Tip

When I first read the theme for this week at Homeschool Blogger, I thought it said "best homeschool TRIP" and I was going to tell you I'M ON IT AS YOU READ THIS!!!!

I'm in El Salvador with my daughter and a bunch of other great people!!!!! AND we're meeting Jeanci, our Compassion sponsored child, today!!!!!

{Are you praying for me????:)}

Anyway, you can be sure I'll write about that later, when I get back. (No technology with me! ;)

In the meantime, my best homeschool TIP is this:

Don't sweat it!

I won't tell you that I always follow my own advice, but I know it's good advice;)

So . . .

Plan, but don't stress if things don't go as planned. Don't worry if you get blown waaaay off course and your plans end up having been for naught. I mean no disrespect when I say, the plan was made for man, not man for the plan -- KWIM? If we let the plans we create dictate our "success" as homeschoolers, we're bound to bomb! ( Proverbs 19:21 has something to say about the plans we make.)

See what others are doing, but don't set them as standards for your family. It's good to get ideas and learn from others about what works for them. The problem arises when we start thinking, "I should be doing that . . ." Comparison just breeds discontentment. (1 Timothy 6:6 reminds us that contentment is a far better place to dwell.)

Explore new curricula, but don't worry if you don't have the latest and greatest products on the market. Some of the most respected minds of history were home educated with just a few resources that were accessible to them. (Here are a few -- but you can skip #1 in our context;) The fact of the matter is, with a library card and a computer, we have access to far more educational resources than a large percentage of the rest of the world's learners. Relax and enjoy what God has brought your way. (Philippians 4:19 holds a promise that includes your curricular needs!:)

Look at standards and educational benchmarks and "measurements of success," but don't panic if your child does not conform to "the norm." You know -- with every fiber of your being -- that every child is different, so there is no accurate assessment of "normal." Academic success is important, but it is not what defines a person's value -- to a homeschooling family, to society, or to God. In the grand scheme of life, character is far more important than any kind of academic achievement. (1 Samuel 16:7 applies here.)

You get the picture, right? There is nothing wrong with organizing and planning and assessing and doing all manner of schoolish things. We are created to create and do and be industrious. But bottom line, only what matters for eternity really matters.

Do you have any other homeschooling tips you'd like to share? Leave a comment below :)

Eleventh Hour Gift - Can You Guess What It Is?

2011-08-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

One more sleep -- less than eight hours until we leave for the airport -- and I just finished Jeanci's handmade gift. (We're taking school supplies and clothes and things for the household, too.) Of course, it's another altered journal and tote. What can I say? I think I'm in a rut ;)

Anyway, I wanted to make her something pretty, something befitting a princess, since she IS a daughter of the King. My thought is that the tote will hold any precious things she might acquire throughout her days (perhaps our letters?), and the journal will be a place for her to record her prayers or dreams or hopes for the future. I know it's not very "practical" -- but sometimes a girl wants a little impracticality, right?

I hope she likes it . . .

I used foil tape with sparkly stickers to personalize it a bit. It doesn't conform to my usual collage creativity, but this was the inspiration that came as I worked, so that's what I did. I added some jewels for a bit of bling :)

Unlike other journals I've done, this time I borrowed my daughter's idea and covered the spine by making slits in the fabric for the binding. Because I'm too lazy to measure exactly, it meant the fabric didn't lie flat on the covers -- but I like the texture created by the ripples:)

I used a glue stick to adhere the fabric to the journal, so I added more foil tape just for security -- and a little more shine:

I made the tote with matching fabric:

It just has a simple white lining:

Now then -- are you remembering to pray for us???? :)

The Secret of the Old Swing Bridge - Book Review

2011-08-24T12:59:00.000-04:00

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation has been received.

Angus Wolfe is a 12-year-old boy who has the luxury of a long summer sprawling on the horizon in front of him. He is a self-directed learner as well as a homeschooler who has learned the value of books, research, and hands-on experiences. So when he narrowly escapes being hurt by a falling tree that shakes loose a leather packet with mysterious Russian writing from the 1940s, he knows how to become fully engaged in an exciting search for the truth. Along the way, he meets a young girl who becomes a close friend and sleuthing assistant. Together, they solve the mystery -- but not without experiencing a roller coaster ride of emotions that result in some serious growing up.

Set in the Washago area of Ontario, Canada, the novel revolves around discovering the truth behind some hazy facts about a few local people and events during the Second World War. Red herrings and cliff-hanger chapter endings propel the reader through a captivating story line. There are questionable characters, including a hookah-smoking recluse who shares his pipe with his pot-bellied pig and some less-than-clean-mouthed mechanics -- but it is clear that the author attempts to present realistic characters without directly exposing the reader to any profane words or actions. While innocence is never jeopardized, romance is introduced -- to the detriment of the story.

I read the book aloud to my 12-year-old son. On a number of occasions, he specifically asked if we could read it -- so I know he enjoyed it! However, he and I concurred about the romance element. When I was reading a passage in which Angus sheepishly comments that he had enjoyed thinking of his new friend, Amanda, as his girlfriend and she repeatedly assures him that she is "still" his girlfriend, my son interjected: "Oh, for the love of Pete! That's just weird! Someone else took over the ending of the story! It's just so wrong!" Then, when I paused after reading that Amanda ran back up on the porch to Angus after leaving to go home, DS12 said, "No! Tell me she doesn't! Why do they have to go and ruin a good story with stupid romance?!" I had to agree with him -- the forced romantic relationship between two kids that could just be friends -- and far more appropriately so for their age -- spoiled the story for me to some extent.

However, overall, we both enjoyed the story. We could relate to the main characters, and were drawn into the well-wrought mystery. Not every aspect was completely believable or worthy of our approval, but there was enough pleasure derived from our reading experience to hold us through to the end, and any mildly questionable content was a starting point for a good chat.

What books have you read aloud lately?

The way I feel

2011-08-23T09:36:00.000-04:00

These days, I can relate very well to Emily Freeman's post "the art of change" over at chatting at the sky. I especially like her plan:

Believe God.

Love people.

Lift up your eyes from the place where you stand.

Leap into the story, eyes wide open.

Listen to the rhythm of a different kind of normal.

And take good notes.

Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

2011-08-22T12:30:00.006-04:00

Banishing the Spirit of Fear

This weeks theme at Homeschool Blogger is a "Craft Show and Tell." Since my entire blog has a crafty quality to it, it's hard for me to highlight anything extra special ;) If you're interested in gathering ideas, I encourage you to click on any of the labels that tickle your fancy at Created 2B Creative :)

In the meantime, I'm going to continue on the themes of prayer and peace that have kind of pervaded recent reflective posts. You see, they're topics that are near and dear to my heart these days as parenting continues to have a sanctifying effect on me AND as my daughter and I prepare for our missions trip to El Salvador -- on THURSDAY of this week!

I will confess to you that a lot of things strike fear in my heart. The futures of my children rank right up there -- and this trip does, too! But my husband keeps reminding me of this verse:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

That means the fear I have is unfounded -- rooted in the enemy of Peace, not God. Instead -- I need to claim the power and love and sound mind that is available to me through Him!

One of the ways I can do that is through prayer.

Photo courtesy of christiangraphics.net

I think that's why my Place of Peace and my prayer journal have become so important to me this summer. They have helped me to submit to the weeding of my heart . I will admit -- the fear is not all gone -- but the power and love and sound mind are becoming more pervasive than the fear.

I know that some of that has to do with the fervent prayers of others: my husband, my mother, my dear former landlady on the other side of the country, family members, friends -- and I so cherish those thoughtful, regular prayers.

Photo courtesy of christiangraphics.net

People young and old have been upholding me -- and my family -- in prayer for months -- no, years, really. And I can feel the Power and Love surging -- and am having greater glimpses of that Sound Mind ;)

Photo courtesy of christiangraphics.net

As a result, I am resting more and more in Peace.

Do you have a story of how prayer has brought Peace, and dispelled the spirit of fear, bringing with it Power and Love and a Sound Mind? I'd love to hear it!

Who can you be praying for this week? (Picture my hand waving -- "Pick me! Pick me!" :)

{this moment}

2011-08-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

{this moment}

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see."

-- Amanda Soule at Soule Mama

It's not Friday, but better late than never . . .