A Little Grace Comes to Tizzy Town

One night I could not sleep and as I lay in the bed praying...a childrens book began to dance around in my head. It followed a rhyming pattern and as it unfolded on the landscape of my mind...sleep began to overtake me. Nearing that much desired dream land, I a hoped and prayed that I would be able to remember the whimsical tale and I locked the title in mind, "Tizzy Town". The next day, I went on a search for the perfect journal...I settled on a beautiful hot pink journal. This was going to hold my dancing thoughts and the story that was still fresh in my mind. I opened the crisp new book and wrote the title "Tizzy Town", 2004. At this point...my time was up and we needed to be somewhere else, so I closed my new journal and thought that I would write the story later.

I had thought for a very long time, that I would like to write a story for children, but was not confident that I could pull it off. I found my time was consumed with my family and taking care of other children along the way and at the end of the day...I was tired. Although, along the way...I would occasionally allow my creative self to come out and play.  I enjoyed decorative painting on ornaments, wood, purses and even painted some murals. I also would do prophetic painting during worship services on canvas. If you are not familiar with prophetic painting, it is simply a form of worship, painting what God has placed upon your heart. Most of the time it will be accompanied by scripture, giving you a visual of what that scripture is speaking or what you feel the Lord is speaking at that time. As time went on, the vision for my book was vaguely in my mind. I felt that I had lost most of the story, by not writing it down immediately. In fact...I let years slip past, before I felt the tugging at my heart to write again.

This tugging seemed to be getting stronger. I was not sure that I would be able to recall the book that had first danced across my mind. One evening I was watching a show on the internet called "It's Supernatural", the guest on this broadcast, captured my attention. Her name is Roberta Simpson and she was...at the time seventy five years old. As her story unfolded...hope began to arise in my heart. While driving her car one day...the Lord spoke to her to write a childrens book. Amazingly, she went home that day and began to write. She has now published, "Nana's Bible Stories". A wonderful book presenting bible stories in a fresh light for children. I began to think...if God can use a beautiful seventy five year old lady, to write books to honor Him...why couldn't He use me? I pondered this for a about a week and one night...while I was up alone and the house was all quiet...I said, "Here I am Lord, if you will give me back the story that you gave me years ago, right now...I will write it." I sat in front of my computer and the words began to flow onto the page. I wrote the book in a few hours and the next day I spent time tweaking it. I was utterly amazed that I was able to write a heart touching story in rhyme. My excitement began to grow and then...as time went on...and life took over again, my story, "Grace Comes to Tizzy Town", took a back seat. Although, during this time...I continued to write and even wrote another book in the Tizzy Town series and began a novel for tweens and teens.

Looking back...I can see that fear was holding me back. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of rejection, all of these combined were the force that held me captive and immobilized me from moving forward. I began to think about my book more and it began to stir in my heart again. I prayed for God to help me move forward and He being God, knows just what we need. He sent a precious friend, that I had not seen or spoken to since high school, back into my life and she was a great encouragement to me. I will forever be grateful for this wonderful friendship! I can't thank you enough, Gini W. H. for your encouragement for me...to step out. I even told her that I wanted to buy some books to help me, and she so graciously offered to allow me to borrow the books that she had used, to send off her own story for publication. She was truly sent into my life to get me on track. She is an angel sent from heaven!

Isn't God amazing! When I determined to go along with His plan...He began to send the people and resources I needed to accomplish my goal. I became increasingly aware, that I could not continue to write, paint and be able to do my own illustrations. It would just be too time consuming for me...I prayed about an illustrator and God sent a very talented young man, Tony Whitten to do the illustrations. He read the story and it resonated with him and he agreed to lend his talent to see my book get published. I had a specific look and feel for the illustrations that I was going for and we worked together on the design and sketches. Now, Tony has done an amazing job, bringing the story to life.

This is one of the almost finished illustrations for my book. I love the whimsical feel of it.

I am still on a grand adventure to see my story go to print...and I know that God has a plan. I will continue to move forward and trust the Lord for the rest. I am so thankful to God for giving me...a little grace...with Tizzy Town. I look forward to seeing "Grace Comes to Tizzy Town", in the homes of people, being read to children and encouraging their faith.

A Filtered Heart

I'm sure you have heard the old expression "looking at the world through rose colored glasses". Well, last night I was pondering this and I had a new thought about looking at the world. We all know that a filter cleanses the impurities out of what ever it is being used for, such as an air filter causes the air to be cleaner or a water filter causes the water to be purified. Have you ever considered that Jesus is the filter over our heart? He comes in and cleanses us, caps off our heart and filters what comes through it. When we see the world through that filtered heart, washed white as snow, it changes our perspective. If we allow that filter to do it's work to purify our life...we will no longer walk in judgment of others, we will walk in love. When people do us wrong, we can remember the wrongs that we ourselves have committed and the forgiveness that we received from our Father in heaven. We will not try to take punishment into our own hands. Through that filter of love, our hearts will be moved to pray for those who are against us. Out of that filtered heart we will love passionately, care deeply, share abundantly and consider others before ourselves.

My status on face book yesterday was, "If you want to move the heart of God...move your heart closer to God."  The closer we are to God the better the filter works. If we want to see the power of God released in the earth and walk in what Jesus himself, said we could walk in, then we must pray with our whole heart, "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). When we pray prayers that are not filled with faith and if we are holding things in our hearts against others, then our filter is clogged. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The good news is...it only takes a minute to clean the filter. The Lord is full of loving favor and pity, slow to anger and great in loving-kindness. (Psalm 145:8)

Looking through rose colored glasses is not a bad thing to do...it simply means to see the world as a better place or being optimistic and hoping for the best. A filtered heart, is faith in action and looking through this filter of Love, will enable us...not to just hope for a better world...but to be a light in this world. I hope we can share in seeing the world, through a Christ filtered heart.

Daughter Day=Sunshine

Today was a wonderful day. Sometimes you have to just toss your plans aside and be available to spend time with family or friends. This was one of those days. I got to spend much of the day with my sweet daughter. I so enjoy the time that we spend together. She is all grown up now and making her way on her own. Our times together are not as abundant as they once were, with her work schedule and mine combined. The time that we have is precious and I love every minute of it.
No matter how old she or I gets to be...she will always be my sunshine. My daughter is a bright spot in my life...whether I see her often or not. She is in my constant thoughts and prayers. I thank God for the privilege of raising such and awesome person. I guess...until she has children of her own...she will not understand the place that she holds in my heart. I am so thankful for the time we shared together today. I thank God for this daughter day and for sending me my Sunshine.

His eye is on the sparrow

This has been a peaceful and relaxing Sunday afternoon. I have thoroughly enjoyed the time of solitude. The evening is winding down and I am becoming aware of little worries trying to creep into my mind and steel my joy and peace. I resolved that there will not be any cracks in my thinking to allow worry or doubt a place to rest. All we can do is set our eyes on the prize. Doing our best to accomplish the things that we can and not worry about the things that we can not do.

Scripture tells us that worry does not add anything to our life. We all know that worry can take many things away from us, and even has the power to add things that we do not want. Worry distracts from our time and engages our emotions. Leaving us drained and depressed. Worry also adds stress to our lives which aids in illness. Worry can even give us those dreaded wrinkles. In short...worry has a whole lot of baggage. So since it carries so much baggage...I'm insisting that it take a staycation...far away from me. lol Since it is going to a land far, far away...I insist that doubt go right along with it. They do enjoy each others company so much.

I'm going to rest in knowing that God's eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Mat 10:29-31)

Happy Heart

 This is a very short post. I am enjoying a happy heart today! I'm going to keep it happy...by getting on the treadmill. Lots to do and things in the works to share with you. Hope you have a wonderful day! Enjoy every moment of the gift that has been given you. Well...I'm off to make my heart smile. lol Happy Day 2 U!

Oh, I just noticed the little sand Angel in the left hand corner of the pics. See if you can see it...let me know .I wrote in the sand one day when I went to the river walk in our town.

Sharing My Creative Heart

I am sitting here doing research on my computer...while catching glimpses of the painting staring at me from my easel. Life has been busy today and has kept me away from my one of my favorite spots in my home. That little spot right in front of my easel. Listening to inspiring music, letting my heart touch God, while I paint my inspiration. One of my joys of life.

My little studio is constantly calling my name and I'm sure it is very sad, when I have other things capturing my attention. My studio and I have a love...love relationship. lol I want to be there as much as it misses me. I am enjoying this creative time in my life, and I wish I had more time to paint the day away or write my heart out. I love what I do and I want to do it more! In between...I have to live life and take care of business. It is a joy to have a place in my home set aside for creativity. I look forward to letting my creativity flow. I also look forward to sharing my creative heart with you.

Divine Appointment

This is to update an older post...from back in September of last year. We did paint my living room and I love the way that it looks. I am so thankful to have the mural that I painted for the Coffee house, now in my own home.
There is a story behind that! A few yrs ago...my sweet husband decide to plan a special picnic surprise for our anniversary. He woke me early that morning...after he had packed a picnic lunch and planned a romantic spot to take me to. I was very surprised. In fact when he gave me a kiss that morning...I thought he was telling me bye so he could go to work. My eyes widened when he told me what he had planned for us. It was very sweet...we went to a water fall and ate our lunch to the sound of the water singing it's splash song. We took a hike by the river and had a wonderful time.
On our way home we mentioned stopping at a local coffee house to have a cup of joe. This was the same coffee house where I had painted the mural that you see at the top of my blog. My husband seemed to change his mind and we were almost to the exit. I suddenly had the urge to get coffee...very strongly. lol So, I quickly veered off onto the exit...taking my husband by surprise. We went into the coffee shop and found, to my sadness...that the shop was closing down and that it was the last day to be open! I looked at the mural on the wall and wondered, what was to become of it. I asked the cashier and she said, "I believe that it will be left behind." At that point my heart was sinking and I looked at my husband and asked him to please rescue my painting for me. He was my night in shining armor. He made it happen! He called the owner of the Coffee shop and the next day he and a friend brought my painting to rest at it's new and final home. I'm so thankful for my husband. We had no idea at the start of our day, that God was setting up a divine appointment, and that it would end with such a gift being given back to me.
I hope you enjoy the updated pictures. I still have to find time to turn the coffee bean plantation into a wine vineyard. One of these days...I will get a round to it. lol It's on my to do list.

Life is amazing!

I have to say...life is amazing! Each day is a gift from the Lord and that gift is worth living to the fullest. We are all on a grand adventure. Don't you think that it is exciting to think of life that way? We can not know what tomorrow will hold, but with a positive outlook we can hope for the best.

I am finding that the more I seek the Lord in my life...the more he meets me in most extraordinary ways. He has opened doors that were closed to me and has put wonderful people in my life. I am truly blessed. Even when I do not feel like it...I am still blessed, because God has given me another day on this planet earth.

I have wanted to share my art with others for many years now and God has provided a way for me to do that. I have been amazed at the response of people, as I step out and share my art and writing with them. I do not take that for granted. What is stirring within me, I want to share with others. My hope is that it will touch people in some small way. Whether it be my art or something that I write. I hope to bring glory to God through it.

My husband and I just returned from a little get-a-way. We had a wonderful time and it was nice to just to relax and spend time with friends. I was aware of how rich my life is. No...I am not rich...but I am rich in so many other ways. I have a wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally, I have a beautiful daughter, I have wonderful nieces and nephews. I have parents who love me and great friends. Yes...I am rich and my heart is full. Yes, life is full and amazing! I am grateful for the gift of tomorrow.

Savor The Heartfelt Moments

I have decided that each day has a precious jewel awaiting for me to collect and savor. What I'm talking about is those tiny moments in my day...that are to sweet to forget. We all have them. It might be the smell of honeysuckles or cut grass that takes you back to your childhood or the sound of the rain on a tin roof that brings sweet memories of your Grandmother. What ever the heart felt moment is...it is a gift. A sweet memory to savor. Tucked away inside of us are precious moments that let us know that we have existed...our life has meant something. We have connected to others and the thread of our life is entwined with those around us.
This daily savoring started for me two days ago...my five year old great niece brought me a token of her love. It was a little weed with a purple flower. The neat thing about this little weed was...I had just remarked the day before to my husband, while we were on our evening walk, that those little purple weeds were beautiful. Especially when they grew all together in a patch. The petals have a beautiful violet color and of course...to honor the gift...this little weed is soaking in a glass of water in a prominent place over my kitchen sink, bathing in the sun light. :)
While thinking about how precious the gift was...I became aware that we may sometimes feel like that insignificant weed. It's not even considered a flower, but a weed. I remembered the scripture: (1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;) This tiny weed may not be a rose...but it is beautiful in it's own way. This little incident made me think of just how precious we are to the Lord. He will seek us out and put us on display...because to Him we are beautiful and He can see our potential. Today, I looked at my beautiful weed. It had closed up and only a little of the purple flower is showing. There are other buds on the stem waiting to open. Just like with us...God sees the beauty peeking through and He knows that in His loving hands at the perfect time we will blossom into something lovely. I hope you find joy in your day and savor the heartfelt moments. <3

The Blooms are Gone

Seasons come and go and the scenery is always changing in the Springtime. I love this season with all of its splendor. Those sleeping trees save up all winter to show off their beautiful array of flowers. They give it all...for one show that will only last about a week. I love watching the flowers come forth from there hiding places and I know that when one tree or bush has had its day in the sun...another bountiful display is just around the corner. Even inside the season...there is a season for those lovely flowers to emerge. I watched the Bradford Pear trees show off there snowy display, while the Yellow Bell bush glowed with its golden petals. Then the Yoshino Cherry trees showed off there parade of pink, while the beautiful Red Buds put on there royal lavender robes. Now the glorious Dog Wood has graced us with its cross-like petals. The beauty of spring with new life bursting forth everywhere is God's way of sprinkling cheerful color into a drab world. Reminding us that just as the seasons of nature change...the season that we are going through will also change. We might feel like we are on top of the world now and next week we could feel like we are the cast away petal that has fallen to the ground. What ever life may give us...we have to keep in mind...it is only a season.
The glorious display those trees show off...will only last a little while. A storm will come and the rain will beat against the flower or the wind will come and loosen those petals. Those lovely little blooms will take flight and fall to the ground...making way for new growth. When the storms of life come against us and the shaking is done...remember you have grown and just as there was beauty there before...there will be beauty again. The trees and bushes go own to produce a crown of leaves that sparkle and dance in the sun. They continue to reach toward the heavens as if to say, "God you are beautiful." I don't think that nature is sad when the seasons change. The trees continue to dance even when the blooms are gone.

The Waves of Life

It seems a lot has changed in my life over the past few months. The ebb and flow of the waves of life have pulled me out and brought me back. I've been up and down and at times...I have felt as if the tide of life would overwhelm me. I have been aware through it all that there is a hand that can reach me no matter how deep in the ocean of life I might go. That nail scarred hand has never left my side and I know if His eyes are on the sparrow...He watches over me.
I am on an adventure and I look forward to unwrapping the gift of life every day. For the first time in a very long time, I am free, not from life responsibilities, but free to pursue the gifts that are within me. Now that my daughter is grown and she has moved out on her own and I no longer take care of my great niece...I have time...time to explore. I feel like I'm starting over at almost 4o. That is what this blog is about...sharing my life with others and inspiring you to share your gifts with others. I am pursuing writing. I have written a couple of childrens books and I have been writing poetry. In fact, very nervously, just a few days ago, I entered my first poetry contest on Lulupoetry.com and I hope some of you will go and rate my poems. I will try to post a link on here. I look forward to where this road will take me. I am becoming aware...that on this journey in life...I don't want to be carried away by the waves and I don't want to just make waves...I want to make an impact.

Far away and back again

Wow...time does fly! I have been away for a while. I will be adding some new things to this blog...come back and check them out. Have a wonderful day!