AS GOOD AS IT'S GONNA GET!

AS GOOD AS IT’S GONNA GET!
The Lord blessed me in so many ways when we moved to Newnan almost six years ago.
Last blog I took you down our little dirt road and showed you the creek that flows over our little dirt road.

This week I want to take you down a path of friendship and show you where two dear friends worshipped our Creator with me this week. Callaway Gardens.

I have introduced you to my friend Linda Dennis before. I have been to her place near Callaway several times with my family for R & R…Refreshing and Refocusing. This week, she took me and another sister in the Lord, Judy Snell, for a get away. They pampered my creativity by driving down back roads searching for treasure. Treasure of seeing the Lord in His Creation and looking for Him in visual blessings.

We have lots of fun laughing and telling stories about our lives as younger women! And of course that leads to the conversation ….(UGH!)….. getting older. We laugh a lot about our forgetfulness and tired, droopy bodies. We say to each other with a big laugh, “Well, this is a good as it’s gonna get!”

Thank you Lord for reminding me this morning how good it actually is! Help me renew my mind in Your TRUTH each day. In Isaiah 40:13 , You promise You will renew my strength so I can run and not be weary. You reminded me this morning that no matter how old I am in years, I am always young in Your Presence.

I saw You all over the paths I walked on this week. I saw where people praise you in little white churches and in Your outdoor sanctuary. I saw you in human vessels that hold friendship and encouragement.

Thank you Lord for sisters in Christ.
Thank you for husbands who encourage us to nurture our hearts in friendships and time away in Your Creation!

A NEW SPRING

It has been quite a while since I have written any thoughts on my blog. Life has been busy. Fun. Full of memories to cherish.

My trip to Disney with the grandchildren was so much fun but it took me over a week to regain my energy. Because my daughter, Amybeth and her husband were at the ChicFilA seminar, I had kept the children several days prior to the trip down to Orlando. They are delightfully exhausting. I also used lots of adrenalin getting them from Newnan to Disney....going through security with all three in my triple stroller and flying by my adult self with them. They were excellent all the way. Note to self.....they have pity on old women going through security with three little ones.

I have been doing lots of painting and really enjoying myself. I feel like the time I spend painting and doing art is like a time of worship to my Creator. I have just in the last 6 years realized God created me to worship Him this way. Sometimes I have a hard time leaving my creative spots and getting back to day to day activities.
If you are an artist, you understand.

I am enjoying watching the Creator show off in my neighborhood too. I love to walk around the lake in the subdivision I am blessed to live in. A little dirt road that winds peacefully around a loop a little over a mile. The trees are budding, the azaleas are beginning to wake up and even the dogwood in my front yard is popping open. Birds are singing their hearts out!!!!!

I am thankful for my day to day life. I am thankful to have a healthy husband this year. It was about 2 years ago he was finishing up a long season of chemo. I see him getting stronger and stronger every day. Like he is opening up with excitement after a debilatating dormant time. He has been cancer free since then, but lately, Bob has a "new spring" to his step.

So, I praise the Lord for a new spring.
Enjoy a picture from the wonderful sanctuary where I am blessed to live. And yes, you have to drive through the creek to get around the lake!!!!
I told you it is wonderful here!

Off to take a walk and maybe take a few pictures I can paint later!

WHAT GOES DOWN IN THE WELL, COMES UP IN THE BUCKET

THE WELL

THE WELL. MY HEART AS THE WELL.
THIS HAS BEEN A REPEATING THEME IN MY READING OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

WHAT IS IN MY WELL? IS IT DRY? IS IT FULL OF CONTAMINATED WATER? DOES IT NEED TO HAVE A FILTER PUT ON IT TO PURIFY WHAT GOES IN AND WHAT COMES OUT TOO?

SO THIS IS THE QUESTION FOR TODAY…..WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WELL RUNS DRY? YOU DIG DEEPER? IS THIS THE ANSWER???? IS IT UP TO ME TO FIX THE EMPTINESS?

I AM DOING A CONFIDENT HEART BIBLE STUDY, BY RENEE SWOPE.
HERE ARE A FEW OF THE QUOTES, ON PAGE 55, THAT KEEP DRAWING ME BACK TO SATURATE MY HEART.

“ HONESTLY, THOUGH, I WONDERED HOW GOD‘S LOVE COULD BE ENOUGH. I WANTED TO BE TRUE BUT DOUBTED HE COULD FILL ALL THE EMPTY PLACES IN MY HEART. OUR FRIEND SAM QUESTIONED JESUS WHEN HE OFFERED HER LIVING WATER THAT COULD SATISFY HER SO MUCH SHE’D NEVER THIRST AGAIN; “YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DRAW WITH AND THE WELL IS DEEP. WHERE CAN YOU GET THIS LIVING WATER.” (JOHN 4:11). LIKE SAM, I KNEW MY NEEDS WERE ENDLESS. THE WELL OF MY HEART WAS DEEP. I WONDERED HOW HE COULD EVEN COME CLOSE TO FILLING IT.
WHAT SAM DIDN’T KNOW WAS THAT JESUS WANTED TO SATISFY A DEEPER THIRST IN HER HEART THAT HE HAD CREATED IN HER. ALL HE NEEDED TO DRAW WITH WAS HIS SPIRIT, FOR IT WOULD DRAW HER NEAR TO HIM. AND AS FAR AS THE DEPTH OF THE WELL, IT WAS HER HEART HE WAS LOOKING INTO, AND SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD STOP HIM FROM REACHING THE PARTS THAT NEEDED HIM MOST.”

HIS UNFAILING LOVE…..HE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN PURIFY OUR HEARTS. HE IS THE SOURCE OF LIVING WATER….THE ONLY THING THAT CAN SATISFY OUR HEARTS.

SO, THIS IS THE COINCIDENCE THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING.. I MEET A NEIGHBOR AS I WAS WALKING LITTLE REID. SHE GAVE ME A BOOK THAT JUST HAPPENDED TO BE IN HER CAR. “NICE GIRLS DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD” BY LYNNE HYBELS. I TOOK IT HOME AND READ IT ALL THIS AFTERNOON. DON’T BE IMPRESSED. IT IS VERY SHORT.


HERE IS A QUOTE FROM LYNNE HYBELS’ BOOK
“WHEREAS IN THE PAST MY CHRISITANITY WAS FOCUSED ON WORK AND EFFORT AND STRIVING, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE CENTER FROM WHICH MY SPIRITUAL LIFE FLOWS TODAY IS THE TIME I SET ASIDE DAILY TO BE SILENT IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, EMPTYING MY MIND AS BEST I CAN OF WORDS AND THOUGHTS, AND SIMPLY INVITING GOD TO FILL THAT OPEN SPACE. EVERY TIME I DO THIS I FEEL AS IF I FALL INTO A WELL OF LOVE-A LOVE THAT CENTERS ME, CALMS ME, AND HEALS ME ON DEEPER LEVELS THAN MY CONSCIOUS MIND UNDERSTANDS.”
PAGE 42
“NICE GIRLS DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD”
LYNNE HYBELS



SO OFTEN, I THINK ABOUT THE WONDERFUL TRIP WE TOOK TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS IN CANADA. THE WATER IN THE LAKES THERE WAS SO PURE THAT YOU COULD JUST RETREIVE WATER FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKES WITHOUT ADDING IN PURIFICATION TABLETS OR BOILING IT BEFORE YOU DRANK IT. REALLY!!!!!

WHY? IT WAS FAR AWAY FROM POLLUTION! WE SAW NO ONE FOR DAYS AS WE PORTAGED FROM LAKE TO LAKE. WE PADDLED IN QUIET. THE ONLY SOUNDS WE HEARD (BESIDES OUR OWN LAUGHTER AND WORDS TO EACH OTHER AND OUR FRIENDS PADDLING WITH US,) WAS THE PADDLE HITTING THE WATER, LOONS AND OTHER BIRDS, AND A RARE BUGLE OF A MOOSE. WE NEVER SAW THE MOOSE, BUT HEARD HIM IN THE FAR OFF.

JUST AFTER I FINISHED WRITING THE ABOVE, THIS WAS IN AN EMAIL ABOUT A CONFIDENT HEART.

“Our hearts leak and will always end up empty when we find our worth in anything but who we are in Christ. Our value is not measured by what others think of us—but we surely live like it is, don’t we? It’s almost as though we wake up every morning with an empty jar, like Sam, and walk around holding it out to people or things, hoping they will fill us."
A CONFIDENT HEART
by RENEE SWOPE

SO, MY PRAYER FOR TODAY.....
LORD, I AM HOLDING UP MY HEART. FILL THE EMPTY PLACES OF MY HEART O,LORD. SATURATE ME WITH YOUR LOVE

p.s. I think there are more pictures coming from all these ponderings.

LIGHT....AND OUR GOD! TWO DAYS OF FUN CREATIVING WITH HIM

LYRICS FROM THE SONG OUR GOD, BY CHRIS TOMLIN

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

Into the darkness you shine
Out of the ashes we Rise
There’s no One like You
None like You.

I AM HAVING A DELIGHTFUL TIME. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS I DID.

THE GIRL SEEKING THE LORD WITH ALL HER HEART IS A JOURNAL. IT HAS LAYERS AND LAYERS OF VINTAGE PAPERS, PAINT, STENCILS DONE WITH MOLDING PASTE, AND MUCH MORE! IT WAS HOMEWORK FOR THE ON LINE COURSE I AM TAKING. LEARNED SO MANY NEW TECHNIQUES.
THE PAPER IS RECYCLED WATERCOLOR PAPER....CAN'T WAIT TO PAINT IN IT NOW.

THIS MORNING I WOKE UP AND STARTED TO PREPARE FOR THE WATERCOLOR DROP CLASS I AM TEACHING NEXT WEEK AND ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS DOING A MELTED CRAYON PICTURE. I GAVE IN TO THE NUDGE AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. I REALLY DID NOT HAVE MUCH OF AN IDEA WHERE IT WAS GOING....JUST STARTED CREATING. I LOVE THE OUTCOME. I CALL THIS ONE OUT OF THE DARKNESS......SEEMS LIKE I AM DOING LOTS OF PICTURES ABOUT LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS OR FOLLOWING THE LIGHT.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU WILL SEE THE FRUIT BOWL PICTURE I AM PAINTING NOW IN MY OIL PAINTING CLASS. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE LIGHT SHINING ON THE FRUIT BOWL IN MY KITCHEN LAST YEAR. YOU CAN SEE THE BLOWN UP PICTURE UNDERNEATH THE PAINTING.

WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT PHOTOGRAPH IT MADE ME THINK THIS... OFTEN TIMES WHEN YOUR TIMES ARE HEAVY OR DARK OR SAD, TRUST THE LORD THAT IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM AND YOUR HEART CLEAN AND MOTIVES PURE, HE WILL PRODUCE FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE.

ANOTHER OF THE PAINTINGS YOU CAN SEE IS A LITTLE GIRL WALKING ON A PATH TOWARDS THE LIGHT. I DID THIS ONE ON BLACK GESSO COVERED WITH SHEETROCK PLASTER AND THEN CARVED OUT THE DETAILS OF THE PICTURE SO WHEN I PAINTED IT, THE BLACK WOULD SHOW AN OUTLINE AROUND THE IMAGES. IT WAS FUN TOO.

WELL, BACK TO GETTING READY FOR THE WATERCOLOR DROP CLASS NEXT WEEK-END.
I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS FOR THIS. I WANT IT TO BE A SPECIAL TIME OF FELLOWSHIP IN THE LORD AND TEACHING WOMEN HOW TO USE ART TO MAKE CARDS TO BLESS OTHERS.

HAPPY SATURDAY....BURRRRRR BUT SUNNY.

CREATIVITY OR CHAOS? WHAT DO YOU SEE?

CREATIVITY OR CHAOS? WHAT DO YOU SEE?

THIS BLOG IS A TEST?
IF YOU ARE ADD (OR CREATIVE) YOU WILL SEE HAPPINESS AND EXCITEMENT!
IF YOU ARE OCD (ORDERLY AND NEAT) YOU WILL SEE CHAOS AND WANT TO GRAB A PAIR OF RUBBER GLOVES, CLOROX, AND TONS OF HELPERS FROM THE HOARDERS SHOW.

I PULLED OUT ALL MY BOXES OF ART SUPPLIES.
THE SUNROOM IS FULL, THIS PICTURE ONLY SHOWS ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM, YOU KNOW!!!!!

THE REASON?
I HAVE AN EXTREMELY GIFTED PHOTOGRAPHER FRIEND, PAIGE KNUDSEN.IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW HER BLOG, YOU MUST. STOP RIGHT NOW AND GO THERE....http://www.paigeknudsen.blogspot.com/
SHE GAVE ME A GIFT THAT IS REALLY EXCITING MY CREATIVITY. AN E-COURSE CALLED
CREATIVELY MADE BY JEANNE OLIVER. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU PAIGE AND JEANNE.

I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS EXCITED IN A LONG TIME. I AM LEARNING MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE WAY THE LORD CREATED ME TO CONNECT WITH HIM AND OTHERS.

I AM OFF TO SPEND THE NEXT TWO DAYS WITH THE LORD AND LOTS OF ART SUPPLIES. I HAVE TOLD BOB WE ARE DOING TAKE OUT FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS. HE IS WONDERFUL AND SAID OKIE DOKEY....HE TOTALLY GETS HIS WIFE AND SUPPORTS ME AND PUTS UP WITH ALL THE PILES OF CREATIVITY IN OUR HOME. BY THE WAY, HE IS A NEAT AND ORDERLY GUY.....THE LORD KNEW WE NEEDED BALANCE IN OUR MARRIAGE.

PREPARING TO TEACH A LITTLE ART CLASS AT CHURCH AND ANOTHER CLASS FOR SOME OF MY DAUGHTERS FRIENDS. SO MUCH FUN COMING UP!!!!

OFF TO CREATE.....I WILL LET YOU SEE SOME OF THE RESULTS SOON.

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH.

Little Reid was so inconsolable last night as lots of family was all gathered in relatively tight quarters.
Packages were unwrapped with paper, boxes and clutter everywhere.
Children were running and laughing and crying as Nerf machine gun battles took place….
And at the same time Mario race car WII was turned up full blast!
Carbs were being consumed through pizza and cookie consumption…and you know how carbs can bomb you down!
Family that don’t see each other often, were having multiple conversations of small talk….. football games, how is your job going, what did you get for Christmas?, etc. Turning my head from side to side, like watching a tennis match, trying to listen to all the conversations so you can connect with people and hear all the news can give you a headache!!!!

Little Reid was not happy about much of anything…..which is very, very unlike him. He is usually the happiest little thing you could ever imagine. He was totally over stimulated! He needed to pull away from all the activity.

So, his wise mommy, who knows her little one well…placed him in the hallway next to all the chaos.

Bingo, the crying quickly subsided and squeals of delight soon began.

Little Reid had the right idea….crying out to be placed in the hall, by himself in his little bouncy seat to
Focus on his little overhanging light toy.

He would grab for a handle and the light would come on and quiet little happy tunes would start playing.
BIG SMILES AND COOS SOON REPLACED FRETTING FROM ALL THE ACTIVITY THAT HAD BEEN GOING ON AROUND HIM.

This morning, I am having a good time, sitting in my quiet time chair……focusing on the LIGHT.

Thank you ,Lord , for gift of family…..but most of all, thank you for quiet moments to focus on YOU.

Thank you , Lord, for a quiet, rainy day to be still. Well, for a few hours anyway…..as there are friends I love very much coming tomorrow. But for now…..time with my best friend, Jesus, is settling me down too.

Thank you Lord for our little Reid.
A little baby can teach an old grandmother life lessons!!!!!!

EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFTS

What an encouraging weekend.
An early Christmas gift.

Going to a workshop to paint and learn new art techniques, so I thought!
God had a creative way to open up my heart and answer some of my prayers.

People I had heard about but did not think I would ever be able to meet……He brought them to me.
I have been “feeling” discouraged lately. I found fellowship with likeminded ladies whose way to draw close to the Lord is similar to mine. They connect to Him through creativity in the arts. Photography, painting, writing, dancing, music, drama, etc.

The Counselor can paint pictures of healing in my heart without my even having to do a thing…..Katie, just obey and go when His Spirit woos me to not be afraid.

Trust Him. Follow His leading. Do not be wrapped up in control and trying to figure out my way, just follow the Spirit and hold His hand.

If I seek Him with all my heart, He will reveal Himself to me….He sees my heart, He knows my needs,
He will be my best friend who delights in the things that delight me and what delights me is connecting with
Jesus in the ways He has made me able to see Him…..through art.

Another gift was going to a neighborhood Christmas party where stories about Christmas memories were told….only to have one written and shared just for my encouragement…a gift written by a dear, godly friend who thought the story from her childhood was about her life, but had been orchestrated long ago, about 58 years ago, in God’s perfect plan to be written down on paper last week to encourage my heart.

Yet, another blessing from the week-end was going to church with my family and seeing that my ABBA, FATHER was there to speak to me. I felt He was speaking just to me, to some woundedness in my life. Affirming that my desire for deeper fellowship with HIM is the gift he offers me.

It is not about me doing things for Him, following laws made up by man or even the 10 commandments. It is about me receiving more from Him in relationship to HIM. I have been adopted by Him. He adopted me as an adult, fully knowing my past sins, my future sins, and all the ways I have and will let myself down because I think it is all about performance. I may promise myself and others I am going to perform certain ways, but of course, I am human and not perfect. Instead of beating myself up, all I need to do is receive my position IN CHRIST. He has redeemed me. I just need to receive and walk in His mercy and grace daily.

He loves me with all my faults. He is faultless and because I am His child, I am accepted! Receiving a teaching that told me I was valuable to HIM. Hearing and really receiving this time that Christmas was for me. CHRISTMAS WAS FOR ME! It is not selfish for me to believe it was just for me. Until I really believe this, I can not share this truth with others. It was just for them too!!!!

I have been a Christian for many years….but I am still growing up in truth, HIS TRUTH and erasing false teaching, words that I have allowed to direct my paths and color the way I “feel” and “see” myself and others.

So I have opened up an early Christmas gift…cracked just a little light on some healing truth to my heart.

Yes, I did go to a fun party with neighbors that filled my heart with encouragement. I did find a group of women who love art and Jesus too…….. but it was the party with JESUS, MY ABBA FATHER, WHO BROUGHT GIFTS TO MY HEART. Christmas as a child of the King…who came to redeem me and reveal Himself to me. He shed a little more light into my heart this week-end and I received it!!!!!

So, this little picture I drew to illustrate my friends Christmas story, well it was for me!!!!! You won’t understand it because you did not hear the whole story, but Joyce and I understand it!

Be washed in HIS LIGHT. Covered in TRUTH…..tasting HIS GOODNESS and let it nourish your hungry heart.

HE IS CHRISTMAS.


Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, with Him,
All the way.


P.S. How can I overlook ackowledging these other encouraging gifts. A memory of spending a day with two of my precious grandchildren, walking in the woods at MacIntosh Reserve…a real live picture of God's creativity.

AND A PICTURE OF REID AT THE CHILDRENS WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS PLAY AT THIER PRESCHOOL.
KISS KISS TO THOSE ROSY CHEEKS AND LOVE THOSE BLUE, BLUE EYES.