Honest?

Journaling online for the world to see is very different from writing it down in your own private journal.. duh right?!.. I guess what my point is, is that it's hard to be completely honest about 100% of your life online. I tend to share only the common knowledge things, the things that most people would hear me say even if they didn't know me well. The things you tell people in passing, the "fine" you give after someone asks you how you're doing, the smiles you give to people as you pass them by on your way to do something... and I feel as though more and more I am living this life.. a life where I am careful about what I say.. careful that it's not too much information, censoring just about everything I think and feel... anybody else feel like me? Like everything that really matters is just glossed over with simple answers like, "everything is going great!" has become your normal answer, even when things aren't going great...

I am feeling tired today, tired of saying the "right" things, not saying what's really on my mind... I am thankful for those people in my life who know the whole story, who know the uncensored, real and honest truth about what's really happening... without those few, I might go crazy after saying, "everything is fine," for the thousandth time. So here's to the ones in our lives who know the depths of our life and love us anyway!

Thankful Thursday

I am very thankful for art. Thankful for the way that it makes me happy! I love creating, designing, painting, and finding new ways to re purpose things. "The Earth without art is just Eh." Love that quote... I feel much the same way if I am not creating and changing things in my life... "eh". I am grateful for this season of my life right now and that I am needing a creative outlet and praising God that I am finding it.. it's helping me cope with all the changes and pressures! Here are some fun things I've been inspired by lately.

1. Pintrest.com: what can I say? It's pretty much my favorite thing right now! I am finding all sorts of fun art projects to do! Also finding fun things to change up in my house! Love!

2. Making t-shirt scarves.. thinking of doing a bunch for stocking stuffers!

3. Learning to create different braids on my daughter Faith's hair!

4. Painting on canvas once again! After we moved to Lincoln I stopped taking art classes and haven't really painted on canvas since about a year ago... and just last week painted two pictures of owls for my daughter and son's bathroom. :)

5. Helping out in an art class at Lincoln Christian this week! I have the joy of helping teach 21ish 8th grade boys the joy of creating masks for the Fall Jr. High Drama Production.. it's been really fun watching them create..and seeing how their ideas come to life!

Much

Much: a great quantity, measure, or degree; a great, important, or notable thing or matter

Hello much. I feel as though this word truly encompasses my state of being right now. How much? Is that too much? Communicating exactly what this looks like is a bit hard, the details may be a bit fuzzy and abstract, but I am guessing that you know the feeling. I am grateful for the lessons that God is teaching through this very interesting time in my life. Although at times I feel like I am navigating a foggy path.. I remember that it is His Word that is the light unto my path!

Thankful Thursday

Hello Thursday! :) Fall feels like it's arrived here in Lincoln. The weather has been beautiful the last few days and I am getting very excited about seeing the colors pop out on the leaves soon. Here's 5 things I am thankful for today:

1. Fall is starting to show it's colors:

2. Pulling out sweatshirts


3. Football Fridays & Saturdays & Sundays! I LOVE football!




4. Soup weather


5. Back to school prayer time with Teresa. Every Thursday we get together and pray over our kids together. Love it!

Decorating & Cleaning therapy

I was home today with a sick child and it caused me to be home almost all day, other than the drop off and pick up of our older son to and from school. I had the time to just putter around the house and do some fun projects and spiffying things up! I love sprucing up my nest... it's therapy to me. With Michael's help we were able to pull out the stove and fridge and clean behind them.. ugh.. was that needed!! I so enjoy cleaning things! I think I've told you all my deep enjoyment of cleaning floors, it's really very gratifying to see things all spic and span!

Also, when you have a sick child, it's necessary to keep things clean when both kids share the same bathroom.. so I was able to deep clean that too! I have a list of things that I plan to clean tomorrow... I don't think that Faith will be back to school just yet.. she's still not feeling the best. Anyone know a good product to shine up facets? Ours are kind of dull from the hard water.. I would love to see them all shiny..

I also got out all my fall things this past weekend and I plan on tinkering with that more and making the home feel all cozy for fall. Remember that each day is new and filled with new possibilities of how to rearrange your furniture and clean out your clutter! ;)

Waves

I have had an amazing week of feeling the waves of God's love wash over my heart! I am excited and grateful for the way in which God can take my heart from feeling a certain emotion and then wash over me with a completely unexpected feeling in a blink of an eye.... rejoicing and praising Him for doing what He's doing... it feels great! As one of David Crowder Band's songs goes, "Waves of mercy, waves of grace, everywhere I look I see Your face, Your love has captured me..."

I feel such peace knowing that God's got everything in His hands...

Information.... Oh my!

The Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills (SYIS) week of training was very useful. It was an intense week of learning and filled with a lot of really great dig in deep moments. Michael and I were able to apply it to many areas of our life in ministry, team dynamics and I feel like I grew in my relationship with the Lord as well as it caused me to look at ways I communicate with God.

I am feeling quite full of information and still have much to shift through and process. It was a valuable week, insightful, hard, and it's helping me put lots of things into perspective. I will have to look back at the folder of info I have and fill you in on some of the things that really struck me. But right now I am just very thankful to be home.

Hoping that your day is relaxed as well and that you enjoy your long weekend, looking forward to spending some time just being a family tomorrow! Enjoy your Sunday!