Monday Musings on the Creator in Me

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!" :)

My New Poetry/Prayer Journal

I mentioned a while ago that I actually filled up my other prayer/poetry journal and had already begun writing in a  new one. Well, the other day I took time (notice I didn't say "found time" -- I took it, with intentional force -- from the mountain of laundry that still calls my name!) to alter my new journal and make it uniquely mine.

First, here is the tip of the mountain -- consisting of the lost and found from two schools,  contents of which, once washed, will make their way to the children of San Salvador, El Salvador (the rest is in the hall outside the laundry room!):

Here is my new journal as I bought it:

I love that it has a magnetic closure flap and a plastic pocket page at the front to hold my Inspired to Action and church prayer calendars -- and a holder for my pen:

Here is the end result of mixing and matching scrapbooking paper (it has a glittery gleam to it that doesn't photograph well), pages from an old book, recent art work, a key verse, stamps, and a few embellishments -- oh, and the fabric from an old, well-loved dress that will never fit me again (that's a pledge, not a lament!):

Here's the back. I love the rich colours and velvety texture of the fabric:

And here is the rest of the dress, with which I think I will make a matching tote bag for all my daily devotional reading/writing books and paraphernalia:

What old things have become new for you lately?

What common, new things have you made uniquely yours?

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Journal Updates

Back around Mother's Day, I described a household journal that I created from an altered book. Well, we've been using it, but it hasn't really been working for us because the binder rings that I put through the covers and papers were too bulky and unstable, and it was hard to get pages in and out or even turn them easily.

So, the other night I had a brain wave . . .

I removed the rings I'd originally used and dismantled an old 3-ring binder. Then, genius that I am, I simply glued the binder spine onto the spine of my altered book cover. Voila!

I glued on a few decorative stars to cover the holes I had previously made:

And  I added a few more tabs to divide the book into sections:

I also sliced our calendar down the middle and hole punched it (it had previously been in a booklet form inserted with a magazine holder -- but it didn't lie flat and always slipped around, which was annoying). Now it is much more functional :)

And in other journal news -- I actually finished -- as in filled up -- the journal that I altered last year. LAST YEAR! As in one year ago. That's a record for me!!!Usually I have the best of intentions, but those intentions fade in the reality of life, and I restart the journals with years between the entries. But I have soooooooo been enjoying my prayer/poetry journal! I have another one all ready to alter (I've even started writing in it!) -- and I think I'm going to make another bag to match it (this time a little bigger so I can fit all my reading and writing materials in).

Next I want to think about another art journal  . . .

How have you been using journals lately? Any fun or creative uses?

Sometimes I Don't Understand What I Read

Though more sporadically than I'd like, I'm still enjoying writing my responses to scripture in my prayer/poetry journal. Sometimes, though, I'm puzzled by my reading -- as with today's reading of Mark 11.

I wonder why

You cursed a fig tree

for not bearing fruit

out of season

when You were hungry.

You could have made the fruit appear --
received the gift of God
because You are He
who can move mountains
and cast them into the sea.
You proved positive your power --
but in the negative. Why?
Why a miracle of death?
How does the curse of the Christ
demonstrate that faith in God
will grant us the gifts of our hearts?

Open my eyes;
I cannot see.


Are there any passages of scripture you've been puzzling over lately?