From Doubting to Dreaming

I woke up this morning to a heaviness. Doubts and fear about finances, kids, broken vehicles were ready and waiting to pound my peace into the ground.

Do you ever have one of those mornings? You go to bed content. Even joyful.

...Then you wake up the next morning with thoughts all tangled and depression, like a bully, hovering?  Kind of like that cloud in that depression commercial...you know the one? Only, I notice in that commercial that the cloud never really goes away. It just hangs back a bit, like a neglected pet or something. What's up with that?! I want that cloud gone! (Not to mention, I don't want to it possibly cause increased suicidal thoughts!) I can tell you from personal experience that the Master Physician can kick that cloud to the curb! He did it for me years ago and He did it again for me today.

And now I'm just sitting here thinking this morning; He didn't bring me the storm that we just came through (losing our house), but He brought me through it.... and I'm stronger than when it began (get this!) because of the storm! It's like spiritual weight training and He's the personal trainer.

On top of that He showed me color and life where I only saw gray. My eyes just needed to readjust to new landscapes.

I feared, and instead of scolding me, He protected me...

He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalm 91:4

My feelings and the enemy of my soul lied to me, but The Lord valiantly fought on my behalf when I was weak. He whispered Love into these ears until I trusted Him again. He spoke Truth to my heart. I believe Him.

And I'm dreaming again. I told you in a previous post that My creativity was returning. Well, so has my dream to upcycle furniture and create things with my hands for more than just a hobby. Doing it as a business is something I've half-heartedly tried and thought about over the past couple years, but never quite had the confidence to throw myself into. Well, I really think that NOW is the time. My other job is not cutting it financially and THIS is what I really want to do!

Let me elaborate some. My husband and I were recently challenged at our church to help with a fundraiser for one of our church's outreach ministries called the Yellow Box. We could come up with whatever fundraiser we wished. Some people are detailing cars and giving oil changes, some are selling freezer meals, a dentist-friend of ours is giving discounted teeth cleanings...the list goes on. Whatever money is raised by February 26th goes to funding the completion of the Yellow Box remodeling, which in turn, will fund various missions and so on.  When we were given this challenge I knew that I wanted to use my love for upcycling old things to help fund this project....so I've been painting...and painting...and painting. And I love doing it. So I've prayerfully taken some time off of my very part-time job to test the waters. I may still work part time for a short while, but once it replaces my income, Lord willing, I'm going grow it so I can just work from my home.

So you may see some changes around here! I'm excited to share the work I've been doing! You'll also probably see some new pages...maybe even another blog, eventually. We'll cross that bridge when we get there :)

I'll post some of the pieces I've done below. You may recognize a couple of them, but most of them are things I've worked on in the past few weeks. I'll keep you posted as new pieces are created.

All of this makes me wonder...Would I even be stepping out on this limb to pursue this dream if I hadn't been uncomfortable and tried for a season?

Probably not.

Annie Sloan Graphite

Annie Sloan Old white and Graphite.

LOVED the natural crackles.

Annie Sloan Old White w/ dark wax. Graphite stencils

Annie Sloan paint and various acrylics. I did this in January.

Annie Sloan Graphite and Emporer's Silk w/ Dark Wax.

Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue.

A wash of Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue.

Annie Sloan Old White and Duck Egg Blue.

Annie Sloan Emporer's Silk w/ dark wax.

Mixed media piece I did last year.

Vintage wall birds. Repainted white.

A picture I took a couple of years ago and recently framed w/ this vintage frame)

Annie Sloan Old White

....Totally amazed by His grace,

~ Jen

Playing With Food.

While making dinner with my son the other day, I found that playing with food really is pretty fun.

Glimpses of Christmas

My dining room table has become my craft space in the past few weeks. I don't want to spend all of my time before Christmas, preparing, wrapping and creating downstairs and away from the family.

 

I have my soaps, along with gifts, ribbons, paper, glitter etc...scattered all about the dining room! And, although I usually hate messes, I feel quite content with it tonight. I'm happy to smell the cinnamon candles and baked goods, to hear the kids laughing (and even arguing once in a while), to just be warm and cozy in my home, enjoying my family. Thank God for all of this chaos!

I hope you are enjoying your time preparing for the holidays as well.

 

  ...that you are cherishing those moments with family.

 (This is what the kids and I ended up doing with our origami stars!)

 

 (...another project that is in progress.) 

 

 And let me tell ya- the animals are diggin' all of the fun stuff to play with. All stuff they shouldn't be playing with...but try telling them that.

And isn't this an awesome little Christmas village?!

 My son made this for me, and when it was presented to me, I thanked him for this wonderful little "town"... He was quick to tell me it's a village.

Duh... Of course it's a village.

Even with all of the messes, endless lists and events, I hope your joy hasn't been buried under all of it. I hope you're enjoying all of the little moments that lead up to Christmas day.

 ~Jen

 

I Found Some Inspiration In A Drawer.

...Was just wandering around the house the other day looking for inspiration for a new mixed media project. I was finding nothing. It was just one of those days.
Until I let Simon out...

As we passed through the garage I noted all of the shiny objects hanging above my husband's workbench. Suddenly a light went on in my mind. As I opened the drawers (that were a complete mess, might I add)  I found some unexpected inspiration.

 

I mean, I had looked through these "junk" drawers before but suddenly I saw the potential.

  

  I'm pretty sure my husband would not see eye to eye with me on how they could be useful, but  I saw it nonetheless. 

 

Now the only problem is convincing him that my need and purpose for using them is greater than his. This could be a problem.
Hope you're finding inspiration every where you look.

Have a blessed day! XX ~ Jen

Lost Things

 
A favorite of mine...Makes me smile and prompts me to do something creative :)