Faith Journal T

Here is the latest installment of my ABC Faith Journal- T for Truth. I always think about how blessed I am that Mike knows me clear to my core, and still loves and accepts me-warts and all.

Faith Journal "S"

I'm slowly but surely working my way thru my faith journal. It seems fitting that this is "S"

I guess I'm always amazed whenever anything is created. (Even by me!) I've been "saving" this painting to use as a background for this page entitled "strokes." I can't wrap my brain around how with a few strokes, so many different men, through so many different eras were inspired by God to write the books of the Bible. (And to have such consistency!) What a project! (I mean sometimes if an art project goes on for more than a few weeks, I lose momentum, and have a hard time completing it! (I call them UFO's (Un Finished Objects.) How do you keep the momentum over hundreds of years?

Oh- and why did I save this painting to use? My tastes are fleeting, and my interests change from season to season. THIS is my favorite piece of work I've ever done. Maybe it's because I started and kept on this oil painting as a gift for my Dad. It represents weeks and weeks of work for me, looking at it daily. I was inspired by a photo of steps in a Spanish Convent.

Here's a quick grab shot from my phone of the actual painting. It's quite large really.

Vacation, Mission trips, and my Faith Journal

Well I'm just back from another Mexican vacation to unwind. It was lovely, as it always is. It is my retreat, my sanctuary. I love the people, the culture, the food, the land, the ocean. It is such a vibrant and beautifully alive country. I'm so glad I can share it with Mike, the love of my life.

Mike is away in Belize. He is working with my Dad, building a chapel in the memory of my Grandfather Earl who passed away this time last year. I had my 16th birthday in the jungles of Belize along side my Dad and Grandpa. They are building in that same area, helping the beautiful Mayan and Ketchi Indians.

Since Mike and I started dating, we've never been seperated from each other for longer than a day or two, and then we always were able to call. I'm really missing him badly, because there are NO land phones where they are- let alone cell towers. I've had 2 short emails from my Dad telling me that all is well, and the building is on schedule, and he and Mike are doing fine. I think some retail therapy is on the agenda to cheer me up tonight....

I've been trying to get back into the routine to finish my ABC faith journal in the next month. This weeks page seemed to be a compilation of all the things I was feeling. Here's my latest addition, R for refreshing. The photo is one Mike and I took on a secluded little beach in Mexico.

Faith Journal

Wow- this faith journal project is really moving along for me. If I had more time free to work on it, it would be done already, as the ideas are flowing faster than I can get time to produce them! (That's ALWAYS a welcome problem to any artist, as opposed to the other way around!) I've found I am enjoying each page more and more. I've noticed too, that it seems to be helping me look at some internal questions I have bouncing around. I was certain that by the time I got to the letter "Q" that I would have a tough time finding a word to use... It seems clear sailing until I get to the letters X and Z. Any suggestions?

Faith Journal on the road

I have, with many good wishes, sent my art journals off to Stampington and Company in hopes they will be well received there. I almost felt a little nervous letting my "babies" off into the world like that, out to stand on their own. But I am having faith that they will speak to others too, I sent my Hope journal, and my Gratitude journal, as well as an electronic version of my ABC Faith journal.

The next two pages for my Faith Journal. Some of you will recognize the archway on top from the rubber stamp I carved in order to make the Artiscape 08 Fatbook covers. For some reason I just love this image. It was a photo originally, and I've altered it so many ways from Sunday, and in each version I find something appealing about it. Don't know what it is exactly. Just like it.

Faith Journal

I've been very busy lately with work, travel, and family obligations. The Lord has chosen to richly pour out blessings on Mike and I in the last couple weeks, and some exciting things are in the works for my art personally and professionally. I hope to be able to post about them here in the near future. I've been working every free moment on Fatbook swaps and some of my journal pages.

Here are the most recent installments to my digital Faith Journal. The top photo of me was originally taken by a very talented photographer friend Ronnie Bianco. (And if you only KNEW how UN-photogenic I am you would know the wonderful magic he worked to get this shot!) His blog link is http://roneyesblog.com/ or in my list of blogs it's listed as "Ronnie's photography."

The world photo and M100 Galaxy shot I collaged together were both released into public domain by NASA. If you've never been to any of their sites, you are missing a fantastic array of information and photos. I visit every once in awhile to check on what some of the telescopes are up to. Fascinating.

Faith Journal

Here comes another mushy one. Can't help it! Mike and I are just so happy to have each other- I had to go for the obvious "L" word in my ABC Faith journal!

Mike and My Faith journal

This month is my husband Mike's birthday. Yet everyday, I am the one who gets the gift! He is my best friend, my soul mate, my hero. (Sorry for the mush!~ But he IS wonderful!) He is an awesome gift from God, and he does complete me in every sense. He is calm and tender and thoughtful and hard working. He is strong and intelligent and loving and gentle. He is very laid back to my spastics!

I thank the Lord for him every day, and he is the prompt for this weeks faith journaling page. In this harsh world we are living in today, all around us there is disease, destruction, and desperation. I do realize how extremely difficult life is for so many, and how they struggle in their marriages. But there is hope, and there are good men and good marriages out there. Mike is the proof.

This week is K for Know.... I KNOW how blessed I am to be happy and in love in my marriage.

I KNOW that God is there in our marriage. And I have the luxury of knowing that Mike is there for me always. I pray he KNOWS I love and appreciate him with every fiber of my being.

Faith Journal moving along

Wow- I am amazed at how this project is moving along! Ideas just seem to pop into my head all day long! A welcome relief from feeling blocked I can tell you!!!

Faith Journal

Today's installment. Funny how the things I'm worrying about seem to be working themselves out as I work on these pages....funny that~

Faith Journal

Here are the next two installments in the ABC Faith Journal.

ABC Faith Journal

I've been short on time to work on the wet, messy kind of art, but I have been trying to sneak in a few minutes everyday to work on my Faith Journal digitally. I've been going thru the alphabet one letter at a time, and here are a few of the pages I've added so far. (In the end, I will be binding them and adding all sorts of bling and ephemera to the pages to fatten them up.) I really Love the group Casting Crowns. It seems as if every song they sing speaks to me, so I have been using their songs as inspiration as well. It seems as if they have a song to go with every verse or phrase I picked to try and use in my journal.