just a monday

Been a rough day. I haven't parted ways with my kleenexes almost all day and been awake since 4 am because I was certain that my head would explode. Oh well, grateful for soft light and bright paints nonetheless. (This is also a sneak peek of what I've been working on to add to my shop. So excited!! The first one is already listed. You can see it here!)

rest

In a post that I wrote for Inscription Ministries, I talked a little bit about resting and how important it's become in my life. The above photo is from my Christmas break when I went out on the lake with my husband and in-laws. It was so relaxing, almost like I tossed all of my frustrations and stresses into the water and let the wind carry me away to a happier place.

Over the break, my husband and I got some seriously much needed rest. We took a break from everything, even turned our phones onto airplane mode and got things done around the house. It was so freeing. I'm purposefully making myself stop and rest a lot more often in 2014. Even now, I see my schedule slowly filling up and I have to ask myself why I thought it would be a good idea to have 2 part time jobs and 2 major volunteer positions. But, life is full and that's a blessing; it doesn't have to consume me if I don't let it.

What about you? Do you have to fight to get rest too?

bloom where you're planted

When I first moved to my town, I really didn't like it. I couldn't put my finger on why, but I didn't. It just felt like wearing an awkward sweater. I didn't fit in anywhere. 

Sure, I was excited when we first drove through town, when we bought our house, when the furniture arrived and the last decoration was hung. But then routine set in and slowly, something rebellious curled up into me. I was becoming arrogant and condescending to people that I didn't even really know. I was miserable; but in many ways, I was making myself miserable. 

Time is a beautiful thing and soon, I realized that living that way was not sustainable. Although much of our circumstances was changing than when we first arrived, I was slowly choking out any redemption of a place that I had harshly criticized when I first got here. 

And then, it hit me. This is where God has put me. He gave me this place to serve and love. And if I don't have a perfect, cookie-cutter place to fit in, maybe that's actually a good thing. A true creative finds creativity in places where it seems to have disappeared. A true creative finds her place, even if she has to dig it herself.