Standing on the Edge of Me

It is Day 3 of Leslie's 31 Day Creativity Challenge

over at her {Words of Me Project} blog.

She asked us to think of 3 words that mean the most to us right now.

Here are mine:

authentic

truth

intended

*

And maybe I'm cheating a bit here,

but instead of creating a new piece of work today,

I'm stealing a page from my scrapbook dated March 2009.

It was in the midst of this "new thing" happening in my life...

I kept thinking I was at the brink. . .

Only to find that each day is a new brink.

But this page displays all that was and has been churning within me.

And I have an idea.

Today.

I have an idea that I am super exited to announce.

Of all this coming together.

Of that picture of all those paths in yesterdays post from my journal

in the first sketch the paths were like spokes.

But in the second were weaved together to make one new path...

and this is requiring creativity in me and partnership with the Ultimate Creator...

I think I have an idea of how to weave it all together.

And I don't have to wait for a publisher to accept my manuscript.

{although, I'm open to that in the future}.

But how I can bring my heart together to touch, teach, lead, counsel the hearts of women.

And I can use all these things I love to do.

So . . . I am not going to announce it yet.

Praying.  Making sure.  But thinking this is it.

And you can be a part of it!!

{I'm SO EXCITED!}

Here is a quote I want to share:

"In retrospect, I can see in my own life what I could not see at the time--how the job I lost [left behind] helped me find work I needed to do, how the 'road closed' sign turned me toward terrain I needed to travel, how losses that felt irredeemable forced me to discern meanings I needed to know.  On the surface, it seemed that life was lessening, but silently and lavishly the seeds of new life were always being sown."

~"Let Your Life Speak", Parker Palmer

love and grace to you my readers,

my supporters,

my encouragers,

my friends, 

jodi

Working On and Working Through

Leslie at her Words of Me Project blog

http://wordsofmeproject.blogspot.com/

is uniting women in a 31 day creativity challenge

to create every day for 31 days.

This is day 2.

Here is what I am working on creatively along with my "vision board" posted yesterday.

I've been wanting to incorporate my photos

into some collage pieces

like scrapbooking, but for the wall.

So this is my first attempt at that.

Planning to mount the photos on balsa wood,

distress the edges of the photos,

use some paintsticks,

and create a 3-D piece.

And this is what I am working through.

This morning I pulled weeds and I prayed while I pulled weeds.

Poured out my heart to God really.

That is what I taught my Sunday School kids day before yesterday:

"Trust in Him at all times, O people,

pour out your hearts to Him

for God is our refuge."

Psalms 62:8

And I am always amazed that whatever I teach,

is taught to me and is for me.

After taking my "flying lessons" e-course,

I am feeling very overwhelmed with what direction to take.

I am a wife & mom.  That is consistent.  I love that.  I choose that.

But...I have these things calling my heart outside of that realm...

and I am overwhelmed by what to put time, energy, and, yes, money into.

And...the looming factor of how can I make money with these things calling me.

How can they or should they be more than a hobby?

Is it possible?  Should I even be envisioning that?

Because...well...we all need money, don't we??

And which one do I pursue right now

with a 3 year old daughter,

and an 8 year old daughter and 10 year old son?

From White Owl, South Dakota,

60 miles from the nearest town with a bank and grocery store?

Can I really do something with this...

with a heart for writing, photography, art, counseling the hearts of women and girls,

teaching the Word? 

A heart for ALL of these things!

About an hour after the outpouring of my heart,

I am going about my dishes or something mundane like that

and this is what I see in my mind:

So I quickly draw the sketch

of what I saw in my mind.

I believe this is significant.

I believe that we are all created with unique purpose and giftings.

Because we need each other.

And I am being bold in sharing this . . .

but I think this is a picture of where I am going.

I don't know exactly HOW right now.

But I am looking for it.  I am researching it.  I am taking little steps in each area.

Looking for a way to weave them all together.

I know that when I taught Bible School to pre-teens & teens

and that when I worked with the girls team

preparing the hand mime skit for the women & girls retreat

that I had the opportunity weave all of those together,

and I come alive in it. 

It is hard work and heart work

and I love to do the work it takes.

So that is a clue to it.

I feel like I am on a treasure hunt

and the treasure is my life.

I believe this:

"For we are his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus

for good works that God prepared long ago

to be our way of life."  Ephesians 2:10 {ISV}

I am His art.

With a purpose that is good.

{Wow! Is that ever humbling, when I let my mind linger there a bit?!}

I believe I am in this process.

I believe that all who have believed in Christ are in this process.

And it is not always easy.

But it is worth it.

*

I also re-visited this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm_X4CNULCY

which is from Mars Hill Grad School in Seattle

{of all places}.

So, although I won't be uprooting and going to grad school in Seattle,

this video still resonates DEEP within my core.

The first time I watched it was about two years ago

when I was searching for works by Dan Allender whom John Eldredge had studied under.

{Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have read and often quote much of

John and Stasi Eldredge's books from Ransomed Heart Ministries

second only to the Word of God.}

And before the video was over,

my breath was taken away and I had tears streaming down my face.

It is a picture of other people who have weaved together

their faith with their interests and talents.

If they have done it, so can I.

THAT is what I am working through.

Photos and text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.