Fall into creativity

Christmas is coming and my mind is getting fat! So are the piles of unfinished craft projects I think will be awesome for Christmas. There is a glue batik project awaiting the dye, and a fall leaf thing that needs rescuing. I've got the jar ready for the first grade art project, ( now were did the tissue paper and plastic jewels go?) So many ideas, so many distractions! An I wonder why it takes J forever to get his clothes on when there are so many things to play with along the way.

Thank goodness God is never distracted.

Ps 121: ¹ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

² My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

Never will the LORD let you fall or be forgotten on a sewing table while He runs off to play with some other toy!

A prophet to the nations!

⁴ The Lord gave me this message:

⁵ “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4,5

This image of one of my newest nieces is cool, blue and beautiful. Two little girls were known before they were born, who are loved now that they are born, and will be forever held in highest regard!

Will they be prophets like Jeremiah? Of course they will! They will learn the Word of the Lord, and proclaim it to the nations. Imagine this if you will. These infants already have a global following and an international family. Before their eyes even opened there were people around the world rejoicing in their birth. Just the publication of this note proclaims the joy of the Lord in at least three countries!

If the Lord God has known and loved these tiny little girls, then surely the Lord God knows and loves you!

Holy Visions, Daniel!

Back in the boat, I am caught and confused by today's bible reading. (according to the list by ECLA that pops up my blog) Daniel 8:1-14 One Ram and one male goat, and more strange horns than you find on most deer.

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one that
spoke, "For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering,
the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary
and host to be trampled?" And he answered him, "For two thousand three
hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its
rightful state."
Daniel 8:1-14

It's the kind of vision that can mean nothing and anything. It can be "translated" into a hundred cautionary tales, and God only knows which one is right. It's the time in the church year that we are presented with these apocalyptic tales and allowed to wonder at the connections between Daniels visions of 3000 years ago, and the nightly news. who is the all-powerful RAM? What MALE GOAT comes to trample on the Ram and assume the burnt offering and the host?

I don't know...

I live, I love and I laugh.

I try to give myself and my sacrifices to the God who made me and loves me.

I lift up the Host and the Cup and recall the lamb who died on the cross so that bloody sacrifices would no longer be needed.

I pray to the Spirit that my visions make more sense than Daniels.

Back in the boat

It's been too many months. For reasons know and unknown, I haven't made the words of my heart known as the words of my fingers. But I'm back and the words are burning holes in my mind.

I've been leading Art Adventures for Jonah's first grade class. With the MIA, a group of volunteers go into clasrooms to share great art with the newest great artists. I got so excited about spending my tuesdays doing art with the kids, I asked if I could continue on my own. So I started to browse art project ideas. From that artist woman, and on around the community of art teacher bloggers. Then I stumbled on some unschooling-homeschooling blogs. My favorite at the moment is Ordinary Life Magic and 5 Orange Potatoes. Lovely photos, and fun crafts and experiments.

Makes me feel a little bad for not homeschooling my precious little ones!

But wait, isn't a day trip to the Kelly Historic Farm for Threshing day a serious home-schooling activity?

And reading at the cabin, not to mention anywhere else?

And things I don't have photos of:

Cooking, baking and eating.

Painting, drawing and building mable mazes.

Discussing the origin of babies and broccoli and chickens at all hours of the day.

I could not avoid homeschooling my kids, and vacationschooling and weekendschooling. Everywhere they go they ask and they learn.