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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Dear Alice - A Letter to My Daughter























-photo captured by Heidi Lynne Photography

Dear Alice,

I miss you since you fell south into that rabbit hole.  Things just aren’t quite the same around here.  Where is that girl with her head always lost in a book?  Where is that girl perched upon her stool by the window with a cup of tea and stories to tell?  Off on an adventure are you?  Following a dream?

There will be many signs leading you every which way.  I’m quite certain of that.  Which way will you go?  
        Follow The Way.  And everything will be okay.

Remember who you are.   Look in the mirror.  See that girl.  Fearfully and wonderfully made.   See yourself as who you want to be.  No matter how small or tall you feel on any given day, find the spirit within you.  What is it telling you?  Remember who you are.

Listen for His voice.  You will hear other voices too.  Be wary.  “Follow your heart?” Oh wise one...beware of this voice.  For hearts sometimes lead us astray, right into the queen of hearts trap.  Guard your heart, my girl.  Put on your pure white apron of armor.  Keep it pure.  Remember your values, the lessons of obedience by the big copper beech tree.  They were written and  told not to bore you or to keep you from experiencing joy.  They were written so that you can experience true joy at God’s appointed time.  Don’t be in a rush to be a grown up too fast too soon.  Hold fast to your innocence.  It’s a priceless treasured gift. 

How old is your soul, Lou Lou?  You are but the experiencer of the heart.  You see and you feel its energy. Keep your heart wide open.  Let those experiences run through you, the good and the bad.  Don’t dwell on the bad or cling too long to the good.  If they linger too long you will miss the present moments right in front of you.  Be present.  It is there that you will hear His voice and know which way to move forward.

Be wise dear one. Enjoy this new found freedom and exploration of trying on many hats (and shoes) of different sizes, shapes, and styles. But caution.  “Eat me. Drink me.” notes are all over the place in that new wonderland.  You will become curious and curiouser.  They will make you feel as if you are from a different world.  Perhaps braver or happier at first.  But they can make you do things that you could regret later. “If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.”  Make good choices. 

Keep your eyes wide open.  You will meet some strange characters as you already have.  A quirky girl with a ring of Saturn that spins and glows in the night while you try to sleep.  A man with eyes so bright.  They speak to your soul,  telling you,  "You are going places." Every interruption in your day is an opportunity for a Divine encounter.  Look for their messages.  Ask who you are to bless.  Ask what lesson there is for you to learn or what lesson there is for you to teach.   Again make good choices.  They determine the places you go, not to mention where you wake up.

Find gratitude in each cup half full.  Take time to daydream over a cup of java.  It is there that you will find inspiration.  It is there that you will find kindred spirits.

You have drawn fruit that reflects God’s light for all to see.  Now be the good fruit of the Spirit, sharing your good gifts.  Let your light shine for all to see.  Be authentic.  Don’t let anybody knock over your fruit bowl.  

Pray.  That is where you will find the strength to persevere. “Believe in six impossible things before breakfast.”  Go to church.  Look up at the light coming through the stained glass windows.  Let the colors penetrate your soul.

My dear, God has dreams for your life, plans to prosper you, to give you hope and a future.  Follow His dreams for your life with passion.  And listen carefully for His voice when he tells you to wake up at 7:05.  Waking up from a dream within a dream is a feat in itself.  Get a good night’s sleep.  Then hear the whisper of "Talitha Koum".

Pay attention.  Be alert.  Is your body off kilter?  Do you have an anxious heart?  Your body may be telling you that there is something not right with your soul.  Talk to Jesus.  Make it right.  Put the butterflies fluttering about your tummy in formation so you can soar.

I hope you find comfort knowing that mom and dad and sisters are cheering for you as you paint the roses and many a masterpiece.  I am confident that when you leave your little wonderland and find your way back home to your castle, Wonderland will be better because of you.

Everything will be okay.  Never fear.  When you stumble down a wrong path or enter into a wrong door God will give you a way out.  He will leave you a key.  He will give you His hand and pick you back up if you will just reach out and grab it.  He wants you to be a featured character in his story.  Will you say yes to Him?

Call home often.  Your mom enjoys a good story and looks forward to the next chapter about how her little girl woke up and saw the sun.  Oh be happy, little girl.    Even though your soul is growing and maturing, always keep a piece of that little girl close tight in your locket.  Remember that confident, courageous, funny, delightful. little girl that captured her own share of hearts with the words, “I woke up.”  BE that happy little girl.

Love,

Mom

Good advice. If I listened earlier, I wouldn’t be here. 
But that’s just the trouble with me. 
I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.

-and she is off... chasing dreams & learning her lessons well in her southern wonderland of art school. while Mama learns the lessons of letting her go and trusting that God's got it 24/7.  


-I Won't Give Up, Jason Mraz 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Happy Girl

May came and went in all its scurry.  It was filled to the brim with birthdays, anniversary, prom, track meets, spring musical, banquets, appreciation and celebration festivities.  May brought green and growth.  It begged for me to stop and take notice of her glory.
And on this May day
in the midst of prom prep,
in the midst of unloading the college girl stash for the summer,
in the midst of kid drop off and pick ups to friends
in busy graduation day weekend traffic,
in a moment,
through the eye of a camera during prom pics, 
I somehow
captured what its all about. 
I found my pure joy. 
It's God's greatest gifts to me...
my happy girls. 

"Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl." 

-Happy Girl, Martina McBride

Friday, April 13, 2012

Bring back the Giggles...


What happened to the Lipton Giggle Noodle Soup?  Went out today to pick up some comfort food for my sick kiddo.  Remembering the days of being home sick and mom giving me cinnamon sugar toast for breakfast, ginger-ale to drink, Giggles soup and saltines for lunch.  Lipton, please bring back the GIGGLES!
 - Colors of the Rainbow, DJ Skeptyk 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

I SO want to do this!
(*pause my playlist before watching)


 

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Beyond the Lights and Darks...

Committing  to creating something everyday is one thing.  Facing the blank page is another.  It's a white canvas that stares you back in the face.
How easy it is to ignore her and face the laundry instead.  I find myself sorting the piles into lights and darks.  I wonder, where have the colors gone?  The light blue t-shirt...ah close enough to white.  The bright orange blouse...ah darks it is.  In an effort to save on a load, I suppose,  the colors get all jumbled up with lights and darks.  No place of their own.
And I wonder what is beyond these piles.  I will never know if I don't face the white canvas.  She's calling me, but I don't know where to begin.
I close my eyes and whisper a prayer for inspiration.
Inspiration...breathed upon.
God  breathes.  Imagination stirs.


 This week I faced the canvas.  I squeezed fresh colors out of the tube and picked up the brush.  She's not finished yet.  It's a start.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

40 Days of Something Beautiful...

"Let us do something beautiful for God." -Mother Teresa














  The Artist's Way Basic Principle # 5
 

"Creativity is God's gift to us. 
Using our creativity is our gift back to God."  

Let me do something creative everyday for 40 days.
Let me walk each day, enjoying the beautiful.
Let me capture the beautiful with the camera. 
Let me create something out of nothing.
Nothing is too small, too simple, or too silly.
Let me find 40 days of color.

"As I open myself to the divine creative energy which flows through me, I am both the prayer and its answer." -Blessings, Julia Cameron

I also decided to give up Diet Coke for the 40 days of Lent. 
And then I pull up behind this truck...























"Every day's a start of something beautiful."
All We Are - Matt Nathanson

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dream With Me... my graceful bee.


 Some time ago I wrote this post

     "how cool would it be to one day feature gracey's blog in this magazine?  remembering the day we sat together and began the adventure of creating it."
  
  COOL showed up in my inbox one November evening, with an email from the editor of Stampington magazine, wanting to know if Grace and I would like to write an article to be published in their winter issue of Create with Me.
  If only words could capture the excitement Grace and I felt.  Grace skipped off to bed beaming.  I thought I'd pee my pants.  They needed the article in four days!  It's one thing to dream, but when the dream is right in front of you, it's another thing to catch it.
  The next morning I found my inspiration in this treasure scribbled in Grace's bedside notebook. 

 And the magazine arrives in the mail!


And we make a trip to Barnes & Noble to see it on the newsstand for ourselves...





Yay!!!

- Colors, April Smith and the Great Picture Show

Monday, February 6, 2012

New Green shoes...























Love these green shoes!  $7.98 at Ross's.  I have no idea why I had to have them.  They look like something out of Christmas Whoville.  So ugly they are cute? My daughters beg to differ.  :)
I have a friend who is fascinated with color therapy.  Earlier this year I got the dreaded call back...breast cyst found on my mammogram.  All is well.  But I freaked out a bit.  I pulled a healing book off my shelf and searched "problems with breasts"..."over-mothering, over-protection"...  ugh... I had been a complete mess with letting go of daughter number one.  My color therapy friend said to surround myself with the color green...which symbolizes nourishment and growth.  I put a plant by the kitchen sink.  I ate on green dishes.  I bought a green pillow.  I drank green tea.  I wore my daughter's green bracelet.  I did everything but eat green eggs and ham.  I focused on the color green as a reminder for me to pray, asking God to help me let go and embrace the "what's next". 
Fast forward...all is well.  The cyst has been aspirated.  And my girl is doing well at college.  I miss her, but she came home from Christmas break a sweet woman.  We both grew.  I can see now that I was holding on too tight while she was trying to pull away.  Anyway, today I put on my new green velvet shoes and I feel rich.  They sum up my year.  
I let go and I'm okay.

-New Shoes, Paolo Nutini

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Color...Word for 2012


My word for 2012 is color.  
Other words fight for their place...
discover, explore, journey, keys...
but color takes lead.  
I can discover color's healing. 
I can explore color on a canvas. 
I can take in all the world's beautiful colors on the journey.  
On that journey 
I will find keys 
that open doors 
to undiscovered rooms 
that just may need 
a pop of  color!


Thank you 2011, for allowing me to dream.
This year I'm dreaming in color!

-Color on the Walls (Don't Stop), Foster the People