Tearing down a few walls

1) life has a way of reminding you of what's really important & 2) I've been way too concerned about myself lately. In an earlier post I mentioned that I'd been working on myself, taking time, trying to tear down these walls I've built around myself. I'm one who's been afraid to let anyone see the real me lest they scream & run the other way. (lest - is that even a real word?) I'm very guarded in my relationships in real life & even online. Heck, I haven't even posted a real picture of myself on this blog! Seriously, I have issues. But I do realize that my issues are pretty insignificant. There are so many around me who have been battling cancer, trying to save marriages & just trying to make ends meet. That song by Matthew West sums it up pretty well.

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world
Population: me

I'm going to try to live outside my own little world this week & do something for someone else. Not just the normal things I do everyday around the house, but maybe do something for a stranger or maybe help a friend anonomously. I'll let you know what I come up with. If you've got ideas, please let me know.




On another note, I am sooo looking forward to tomorrow. Falling for You - Art journaling class starts tomorrow! WooHoo!! It's finally starting to feel like fall. Temps are getting into the 50s at night. Thats when I love to open the windows & let the crisp cool air in. I'm anxious to start this class & see what Molly has in store for us.

Are you Brave???

Just a journal page I made today. The photos don't show the depth of colors very well, but it does capture the brightness of the yellows/oranges. Have you looked at the date? 10-01-10 love it! I also love exploring the blog world. I start at one of my favorites, then hop on over to someone they love, then click on one of their favorites & so on - the next thing you know you're far from where you've started and you've probably met some amazing people. Today I was hopping around & found a new online class that look wonderful. I've seen several lately, so over the next few days, we'll take a look @ some of them.

http://bravegirlsclub.com/blog/

Have you heard of the Brave Girl Camps? They sound amazing. The describe it as five days of life-changing fun for women... It was specifically designed to help women find their own individual path in a fun and lasting and deeply personal way. It sounds like there's exquisite food and it's a place to make, see & share beautiful things. If I lived closer to Idaho, I'd sign up in a heartbeat.

Luckily, they have an online course starting Jan 1, 2011 (1-1-11 another great date). It promises 6 weeks of soul restoration. A time to restore out dreams, our favorite things, and make a beautiful place for our souls to live...all while having a blast making art to help us remember. Well, I love making & creating, so I'm seriously thinking about signing up. I joined the Brave Girls facebook page & have love receiving their daily posts...very inspiring. What do you think? Do you have a favorite blog or online class I should see?

The Voice of Truth...

I've been on a sort of Quest the past few months. I've been searching for something, digging deep in my soul to find out what's there. It feels like I've been on autopilot for a while and finally have become aware of it. I want to be present, living my life fully, enjoying the simple everyday joys. The voice of truth, have you heard of this song, Casting Crowns? It's playing right now on the radio and has some powerful lyrics -

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

"The waves are calling out my name & the laugh at me" - It's taken some quiet time, some long talks with God to realize that the waves are me! How many times do I remind myself of my failures, shortcomings? Far more often than not, I'm the one who sees my flaws & points them out. My family doesn't do that, my friends certainly don't. Why are we so much harder on ourselves than others?

I challenge you to listen to the voice of truth today. "Do not be afraid" Live your life fully.

Falling for You

I've been longing for fall, cooler weather & pretty fall leaves (temps here are still in the low 90's). Something else I've been waiting for is this class. Check out SpecsandWings.blogspot.com for details. I love that name! I'm fairly new to art journaling, so I'm always looking for new techniques to try & journal prompts to keep me going. This class promises both. And the best part??? It's only $20! I'm going to sign up now, why don't you join me?

Life is Good

Hmmmm...guess I kinda forgot I had a blog. If it were a plant or goldfish it surely would have died - 5 years is a long time to neglect something.

Actually life just got very, very busy.

We built a house - actually my husband & his dad did most of the work, I painted & we hired out what they couldn't do themselves. It's a wonderful home. We've been here almost 3 years now & I couldn't love it more!

We also had another baby, he's 4 now & sooo good for me. His catchphrase? "Mama, you know what? I love you, again." melts my heart every time.

Life is good now. We're settled in, the girls are enjoying school; Hailey's busy with cheerleading & band; Kaitlyn loves ballet & tap; Brian's got the yard looking good and most days I get to hang out with Carson.