Blue skies

Considering my location in this time zone, the time of year and resultant length of daylight, it gets dark here between 5 and 6 pm. I mean dark. You can't hunt. You don"t walk the dog without reflective gear in place. It's dark.

About a week ago, between 5 and 6 pm, I walked past a window hurrying to another destination  in the house, when a flash of blue caught my eye. Brilliant blue. The kind of blue that makes you dream of tropical vacations and warm breezes.



SOOC

 

The sky was supposed to be darkening, yet there it was, brilliant blue. I grabbed my camera and ran outside, snapping this rare moment like a crazy ... um, blogger.



SOOC

Which made me think ... just because all the rules of nature say that the sky is supposed to be dark
 this time of day, doesn't mean that unexpected moments of brilliance and beauty can't happen.

And so it is with people. Life isn't over 'til it's over. Don't give up. Don't stop dreaming and reaching. God gives us each day to glorify Him. What will we do right now?

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Quality time

Quality time or quantity time ... that has been the age-old struggle for all of us who have loved and worked with kids through the years.

Though I have opinions in that debate, quality vs. quantity hasn't had much play time in my brain since my house became an empty nest.

Until Sunday.

I am the teacher for the 3-4 grade Sunday school class. I tell the Bible story and then a classroom assistant takes over and does the worksheets with the kids. Last Sunday, the story was about Moses, Mount Sinai, and the People of Israel preparing to stand at the mountain and hear God. The story went well ... multiple trips up and down the colorful, flannel-graph mountain for busy, flannel-graph Moses. Lots of discussion about the distance covered, the lightning and the great cloud that was to be God's cover. Then on to the business of racing to fill in the worksheets. The clock hit time-to-go and we started to pack things up.

That's when it happened ...

 

My budding-artist-student stood up and said, "I want to draw on the chalkboard." (Said chalkboard
stands floor-to-ceiling and is rarely used, so the request was surprising.) I handed the dusty chalk to her, she plopped right down on the floor, and went to work drawing the mountain that kept Moses so busy during our story.

The real shock came when my assistant plopped down beside her and said, "Well, I want to draw the mountain too!" And there they were, like two arty buddies working on an installation, drawing their separate versions of Mount Sinai, adding clouds and lightning, and groaning about the messy chalk.

I stood there and watched the spark of attachment form between the two. Head to head, they worked well beyond the allotted classroom time. Laughing, they disappeared down the hallway to find soap and water to wash the colorful dust from their hands.

A quality moment, after the class. Nothing in the teacher's book about making art, but blessings on my sweet assistant! Because of her, that young girl will have good memories about being in Sunday School -  a place where people love God and her... enough to get down and dusty for some fellowship.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often to one another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. Malachi 3:16

Angels in the living room

Over the years, a variety of card-parts have piled up on the surface of Aunt Jessie's game table ... things like houses, choirs, Christmas trees, mangers. They bring their necessary accessories,  sometimes paint or ink, but always double-stick tape (my term) and scissors. 

 

This year angels are everywhere. While ink dries around their edges, the printer chugs away, turning out the message and the card itself.

 

Every December, I tell myself to go simple. I try, but the truth is that what I like is the look of multiple layers and uneven edges.

The ripping and inking are finished, but I'll be folding and taping for a while. And I couldn't be happier.  *smile*

...let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving Day. The very name of this holiday brings to mind the joyful duty of a person who has been redeemed by a loving God... thanksgiving that is filled with praise. 

 

Swirling round my words that are lifted in praise, is the mighty chorus of nature. Weeds that twirl in graceful dance...

 

 

... the heavens rejoice ... the earth is glad;

let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 

Let the field be joyful and all that is therein;

... all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord...

From the rising of the sun

unto the going down of the same

the Lord's name is to be praised.

Psalm 96, Psalm 113 

Making improvements

I wondered when I signed in for my first art class that actually cost $$, if I was foolish, or if I would actually come through the experience with new understanding. Would I be able to take the info given and make it my own? Or would I just learn how to duplicate the art that the teacher makes.

 



You tell me... this is before the class. Me, on my own trying to be arty.

 

 

Same painting... trying a technique I learned.

 



 

I know it isn't there yet, but it is so much better! I'm still working on these little buildings. Someday... they will be just what I wanted to see when I started.

 

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Chriat. Philippians 1:6

The 5x5 project

I jumped into the deep end knowing that I flail, splash and basically just roil the water. At the time, it didn't matter. I wasn't thinking about technique. There was a challenge... I had something to say... so aiming for the deep end... I flew into the air.

And now, among all the fine swimmers, there I am, flailing, splashing and generally having a good time. I may look a bit silly, but hey! You can't ever say, I hid when the pool opened.

Sunday, 11/11/12, you can see the whole thing here ... Seth Apter's The Altered Page blog.

 

Some absolutely beautiful pieces were submitted for his 5x5 project. He will be displaying every piece submitted every Sunday in November on his blog. No one is left out... every last piece will be included.

 

Take a look. You will be amazed at the talent some people can cram into a 5x5 space.

 

When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:8

 

 

Art Gallery Tour

 

 

Imagine how many times I went here on Friday. Kind of a reality check for me, as in - did I really see my name there?

 

If you haven't checked it out, go! It's a varied display of art that has this in common... the use of techniques taught in this class. 

 

I'm quite sure I'm the newbie-est of the group shown this week. What a thrill for me!

 

Now, feet back on the ground... get to work!

 

(He) satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:5

October in my yard

Early this morning the frost was thick on the neighbor's roof.

The maple trees lost all their leaves in the wind two days ago. The courtyard is now covered with a brilliant yellow blanket... beautiful today... soon to be reduced to a mound of smoldering ashes.

I love autumn. The colors, the smell in the air, long sleeves and jeans. It's the best part of living in Michigan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I can stop feeling guilty about staying inside, playing with paint and paper. Happy days.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Psalm 32:11