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Courage to Risk
Today I risked! My children’s story is now in the hands of an editor. The Bella Project has been seven-plus years in the making. When Covid hit, I decided to pick Bella back up, and see her come to life by putting watercolor to her simple sketches. It has been exciting to see the progress over these past eight months, as I have steadily plodded along, putting corresponding illustrations to the words of her story. But…just hours after hitting send on my story, I felt like my spirit plummeted. Have you ever felt this way? You finally move forward on something you feel God nudging you to do, and then; BAM!…
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Day of Victory!
How is it, that I can wake up on Valentines Day and feel like all the love is slowly being squeezed right out of me? Thirty-seven consecutive Valentines Days shared with my husband Joel, and here I was entering this one with a melancholy attitude I couldn’t identify. I should have prepared myself for the unexpected low, as I had just said hard good-byes to my brother and sister who were visiting here in the Philippines. While my brother was doing ministry work in the Province, I enjoyed two remarkable weeks together with my eldest sister. Each day was hinged with laughter, reminiscent memories of experiences from days gone by,…
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Textile, color and design breeds creativity
The Colliding of Passion: There is something that draws me towards textile, color and design. This combination stirs me deeply, allowing passion to collide with soulfulness and ultimately, igniting creativity. A weekend trip into the mountains of Baguio, Philippines refreshed me, not only with cool, clean air; but all things uniquely designed. I delighted in the view of rainbow painted houses, precariously perched on tiered mountain sides. My eyes took in jars and jars of freshly made strawberry jam with the sun igniting their ruby brightness. An endless array of handwoven head scarves, tapestry bags, knitted caps and colorful straw brooms; each, a harmony of color spilling over into a…
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Stop the Masquerade: Unveil the Masks
“Be yourself; everyone else is taken.” Oscar Wilde Unveiling the Masks By continuously covering up God’s good and perfect design, we are shouting out the message; “God, your masterpiece is not good enough.” “God. You messed up when you made me!” As Christ followers I don’t think any of us would really believe that message; yet we subconsciously say it when we masquerade as something we were never meant to be, in order, to gain the appeal and approval of others. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10…
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The Giver of Hope Has Come!
Ever so slowly the slightest hint of hopelessness rises, you wonder where it comes from as it tempts to break the surface of this peaceful Christmas season. Amid “all is calm – all is bright” thin slivers of loss threaten to destroy this Christmas cheer. Making Sense of the “Not-Yets” Lately I have found my soul arguing with itself. There are many impossible situations in my life that I just can’t figure out. Every once-in-awhile, a sneak attack slips in right between “silent night-holy night” and the words “sleep in heavenly peace” and I find myself in turmoil wondering what I will do with what has not-yet-come. The future! Then I…
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Exposed to God’s Truth: Knowing Self
The Character Quality of Knowing Self: I expectantly eyed the bathroom mirror, keenly aware that this day would not only put another candle on an elaborately iced cake, but mark off another significant decade. With anticipation for the day ahead of me, I stopped to assess my reflection. Instantly, I was met by a rather dismal birthday pronouncement. The voice in my head spoke loud and clear. “I don’t like you!” In one quick instance, I had summed up four decades of my life. And with four short words, I had pronounced myself, lacking. Was I saying that I didn’t like how I looked? Or was I saying, that…
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Unveiling the Mask: Learning to live out of your God-given design
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