Living Wholehearted. What's gratitude got to do with it?

Wholehearted Gratitude.

Sunday I taught this class on creating a journal from a repurposed book

by creating a collaged cover using a photograph, similar to my art pieces on wood & canvas.

I shared this time with a lovely group of seven women at Scrappin' Ladies in Pierre, SD.

But it wasn't just about the project.

It was about their life.  My life.  Really living it.

I have a couple more of these coming up,

so I wanted to share a bit about what you could expect.

Through sharing my own personal stories

of moving from seeming to always fall short to abundant living,

{not necessarily materially, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually}

I will share how gratitude moves us

into living wholehearted, fulfilling lives

right in the mess of everyday, ordinary stuff

as well as the biggies.

Back at Christmas 2008,

I wrote about it in a Christmas letter

you can read about it here.

Life Is Not About Painting The Perfect Picture.

I share about being real and about savoring life's little treasures.

Here is what you can look forward to at a Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} event:

We will transform an old book into a personal, unique work of art 

featuring one of your own personal photographs.

You will enjoy curling up with your journal and recording those priceless moments

with words, photos, art, or whatever your mind comes up with...

We will create a bookmark from a heart-shaped rock, twine and ribbons.

We will laugh, visit, perhaps shed a few tears, and tell stories.

We will be brave in trying new things.

We will find things to be grateful for.  The deep things. The really important stuff.

I will share my personal journey of discovering gratitude and beauty in my everyday life.

I have two Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} events coming up.

Click here for the details and registration information:  FALL SCHEDULE

Here is a sneak peek at  projects

from the last journal class.

In addition to writing,

photography is one of the ways that I record my gratitude.

Sunday was a great day of journal-making and friendship building

finished off by this beautiful drive home across the prairie.

Sharing with you some gratitude in photos 

for this great state of South Dakota. . . 

. . . during the "magical hour" when the prairie

is lit up

in all her glory.

The two events I have coming up:

ARTescape afternoon on

November 3 at the Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City, SD

and

an evening class on

November 7 at Sturgis Photo and Gifts in Sturgis, SD.

Click here for event schedule and sign up details:

FALL 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Beautiful Day

What is all this day about?

Whispers & callings in my heart

stirring, urging me on a new path . . .

Praying, journaling, asking,

Really, God, is this You

or am I just making this up?

Identification of belief ~ my beliefs

of what is important

and how I want to live.

Asking the question:  what am I believing?

Asking this question: how do I want to teach my children to live?

Play it safe? Or risk following what's in your heart?

Do what you think will please others and impress?

Or do what you really care about and believe in?

Seek what the world says you need/want?

Or love and live right where you are?

Wish to be someplace else, some other time, someone different. and have something else?

Or find beauty right where you are and enjoy what you have?

Try to not to disappoint anyone?

Or realize that we all disappoint someone sometime?

Stay on the same path,

or follow the one that is true to your heart?

Worry that you might fail, so you might as well not try?

Or have faith that trying you may fall

but that learning is a process,

and God's grace is the hand that will catch you

and set you back on your feet again?

Think your too old or it's too late to start something new?

Or believe it's never too late to be what you might have been? (George Eliot)

Stand still because the journey is so big?

Or start by taking one step today?

Wish you would have done this or that?

Or start taking steps, even small ones, toward it today?

The journey to this

new beginning

has been full of hours of fitful sleep,

choices to stay on one path or follow another,

hard choices, facing who I want to be, choosing not to hide that person,

risking vulnerability,

putting my heart out there in writing, speaking, teaching, photography, and art

and weaving all of those things together.

Believing God is with me,

really doing a work in me.

Choosing to believe God over the doubt

and sneaking whispers of fear and discouragement...

This has been a journey

of facing fears,

of fighting gremlin-like voices in my head

that discourage and diminish who I am

and what I have to offer,

as well as battling the prideful heart that desires

to prove my worth, my validity, my security.

Life is facing all that.

It is taking a look at all the things

that hold me back

with faith that the God who made me

did so with purpose and intention.

It is trusting that He takes the hurt parts, the broken parts,

the places where He shattered pride and arrogance,

made me humble,

and puts them back together and redeems them,

for a purpose with a passion for Him

and sharing all of that . . .

so that others would seek Him, find Him, and follow the unique purposeful passion

that He puts in their hearts.

That's what all this is about.

Listening so closely for the heart of God.

Finding His voice.

Following it.

Being who He made me to be.

Because in really searching and seeking for Him,

I find who I am, and I discover all these other wonderful blessings

that are right here in my hands, my heart, my life.

So, so grateful for this family, these friends,

that came to support and celebrate

this opportunity to share a beautiful day

of stepping out in faith and not letting fear rule.

Especially grateful to my husband Jim

celebrating 15 years of marriage,

of saying "yes" to him here at Chute Roosters in Hill City,

16 years ago,

that he has loved me through all of my

ups and downs, questions, wondering, fear/faith battles,

falling flat on my face in failures, getting back up again, and

being here for a great day like this one.

Thanks to Lori and the staff at the

Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City, SD,

for giving me the opportunity to share my art.

I'm honored and grateful.

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Linking with Jen here:

and with Jennifer In The Studio here:

Studio JRU

Sneak Peek Friends, this post was on Monday,

but thought I'd share here as a celebration with YOU

for the STUDIO work I've been doing and sharing with YOU.

THANKS FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT.

My Friday post is HERE:  There is a season.

It features my photos of the beauty of the prairie where I live,

which is also what I've been up to "in my studio" this week and month!

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Come Out of Your Shell

Ever felt like you were

in a shell?

And you weren't sure

if you should come out into

this newness

and own it

as your uniqueness?

Well, our "flying"

all looks a little different

because, well, we all have

unique flights to take.

And after coming out of that shell

stretching and growing our

wings there comes a time to take a deep breath

and take that

flying leap of faith.

So here are a couple results of those

flying leaps of faith

I started taking about a year ago:

Showing Art & Photography at Jon Crane Gallery

256 Main Street, Hill City, South Dakota

Sunday, July 31, 2011, 2:00-5:00 p.m.

November Artist of the Month

Sturgis Public Library

Art on display all of November

Tentative reception November 5 

As I type these,

I feel like I am making announcement

for someone else.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you

the desires

of your

heart.

These two dates on my calendar

fulfilled something

that I barely allowed my brain

to indulge in thoughts

about a year ago

as I was just

stepping my little

beak out

of the

eggshell.

Gratitude to the Lord

for His grace

to allow me to be working in something

I enjoy so much.

Linking up with Jen

and these ladies at

Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

NEWS! *Happy Dance*

One year ago,

I was taking an e-course by mixed media artist

Kelly Rae Roberts

called Flying Lessons

on starting and building a creative business.

She said to make a list of the places

{boutiques, galleries, stores, etc.}

in which you would love to have your work.

Yesterday, I made a delivery of

16 pieces of my mixed media originals

to the Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City, South Dakota.

It was on the top of my list.

My favorite gallery in the Black Hills.

Dreams unfolding.

Wings spreading.

Taking flight.

There is never a moment when all of the lights are green.

Never a time when life does not happen in one big way or another.

Never a perfect time to start something new.

But I started anyway . . .

Parts of me were still broken.

But I am beginning to

fly

anyway.

If I gushed out all that I am feeling

it would really spill out how

much I am like an excited kid!

I would love for you to visit the garden area

of the Jon Crane Gallery this summer.

Some special art events

will be coming up on my calendar

that I will share throughout the summer.

Join my newsletter for updates!

Happy dancing here on the prairie of South Dakota!!

Linking up with these ladies:  Soli Deo Gloria.