And Then She Bloomed

Hi everyone!

The past week my best friend surprised me with this beautiful little tea cup.  She said when she saw the tag she just knew she had to get it for me.  It reads, “In Full Bloom.”  And what my precious friend told me was “you may not realize it, but you are in full bloom.” 

Yes I cried, but I was also able to accept this sweet complement and really allow it to sink in.  Sometimes things can happen in life that slowly, but surely start to bury us.  This may be taking care of kids or aging parents, divorce, a loss of a job, or other life stressors.  Slowly but surely the aftermath from life events can begin to bury us, slowly, some may go underground deeper than others, sometimes we may think we will never see the light of day again.  But then one day it just happens.  One day things just start to change.  Friendships start to water our soul and their smiles act like the sun sending down the fuel needed to start our growth.  Slowly, but surely the shells that we once used as walls to protect ourselves start to open up.  It often begins to happen so slowly we don’t quite realize that impact of the changes taking place.  It may be small steps, baby steps if you will, at first.  Maybe we start to take better care of ourselves. 

Maybe we quit singing to the squirrels in our backyard and start singing in on a Praise Team, for the first time EVER.  Maybe eating healthy and exercise aren’t just New Year’s resolutions, but something we actually enjoy doing.  Maybe we start to have our nails done again and change our look.  Changes, little changes start to help us sprout and grow.  Life didn’t bury us really, but it actually allowed us to grow and mature, and the tough times actually just fertilized us.  And then one day it just happens.  Oh people may have been noticing for a while.  But maybe we just brushed it off.  And then one day we look in the mirror and we realize we REALLY do glow.  We really ALL are uniquely beautiful creations that God created for a special purpose so others can see His handiwork in us.  It isn’t a conceded or overly confident thing.  No it’s a beautiful gift when we start to bloom.  It’s a beautiful gift when we can look in the mirror and accept all of our flaws and imperfections, not viewing them as flaws and imperfections, but as precious pieces of mosaic that He has used to best illustrate the master piece that is each and every one of us.  

Once this happens, THE most amazing thing starts to transpire.  For me personally, I have found that my faith has become so much more than my mustard seed pendant.  I have REALLY started to believe that He will give us the desires of our heart.  BOLD prayers are written in my journals with excitement and anticipation, because for months He has been gently whispering “write down the desires of your heart, every last detail.”  And to be quiet honest I think I have been a bit afraid of this exercise…after all, there is a reason I am writing books. lol But I have been watching God Wink at me for so many years, hearing His voice, and doing the things He has guided me to do…so why was this so scary???  What am I so afraid of???  THIS, this is what I have really had to lean into this week.  And I keep being drawn to my copy of the book Fervent, so I decided to look up the definition on Google.

Fervent – having or displaying a passionate intensity

....intense, sincere, heartfelt, burning, or glowing.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, not because I was making light of this book, but rather because anyone who knows me, knows that I approach EVERYTHING in life in this manner.  So if I approach everything in my life in this manner, then why on earth would I not approach placing the desires of my heart at His feet in the same manner?  Tada, the glow, the bloom, the lightbulb going off, the angels singing….okay, maybe not angels singing, but all of a sudden it all made sense.  He has been waiting all along for me to lay my fears down, just step up to the plate, swing for the fence, and tell Him what I want.  Wow!!  Ok, so maybe I am a late bloomer, but who cares, all that matters is that I am blooming!!  All that matters is that I make sure this incredible process is documented in my writings so that other people can see that the caterpillar really does make it out of the cocoon.  Hey, no one said there was an age limit on the caterpillar to butterfly process, because it’s all about His timing in the end.  So as I start to make more exciting and incredible changes I will be sure to share, because I know some of you fellow caterpillars are wanting to find your wings too.  Until next time…

Hugs! Jen        

The Gift He Gave to Me

Hi everyone!

While everyone was out searching this weekend for the perfect tie or grill for their dad this Father’s Day, I find I am spending the day finally allowing the grief to set in.  Or maybe I have just been traveling so fast through life for so long that this is the first time in a very long time that I have allowed myself to stop.  And when I say stop, I mean stop.  My many projects have been put on hold.  The many ideas swirling around in my overly creative head have been quieted.  I have stopped.  For the past several weeks I didn’t let grief get near me, but as this holiday drew closer, I felt more and more compelled to take this time to write. 

On May 22^nd we lost our stepdad at the age of 80.  Anyone who had ever met Clyde knew that he could have easily been on a meme as an example of the “Hold My Beer” guy.  We had a childhood that was filled with adventure and left me with plenty to write about.  Anyone who had ever had to work with him also knew that at times he could be a bear.  I remember when I was in college and I worked at International Paper, the men who worked for him would ask me, “Does he ever smile at home?”  If truth be told, at times he could also be a down right butt, which seemed to only get worse with age.  However, this is not a piece about what a horrible childhood I had, no this is a piece about what walking someone to the end of life taught me about love.  Or I guess you could say what we taught each other.

My brother and I promised our mom when she passed away almost 7 years ago that we would take care of him.  They had both always been a handful, but we had no idea how daunting this task would be.  Never the less, we did it, my brother and me, down to the last few hours, and even now by making sure his little dog is loved and cared for.  We weren’t trying to be martyrs or earn our angel wings, there was much more to it than that. 

On the Thursday before Good Friday, I started making countless trips to the hospital and learning things about the medical field that I thought was only something my daughter and son would do.  But hospitals are understaffed and he needed me.  It was not the time to think I was too good or not capable of stepping up to the plate.  While it was at times very unpleasant for us, I also thought of how utterly humbling it was for this once “man’s man” to now have to depend on his stepchildren to help him take care of every physical need.  It didn’t matter what he had or had not done prior to this time, all that mattered was he needed us and we were not going to abandon him when the going got tough.  Or as our mom use to say, “When the ox is in the ditch, who is going to show up?”  I can’t speak for my brother, but for me, it was about knowing that one day I will be in that ditch and I couldn’t help but think of the countless people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities everywhere that have no one.  Was he a handful?  Yes, and he had been one for over the 40 years he was in our lives.  Did we make a promise to our mom?  Yes, and I will be first to admit that once or twice in the past 7 years we have looked to the heavens and told her a time or two just what we thought about that promise. 

But THE most important thing that I learned, that really hit home for me, was that when we get married, how many really lean in and think of the vow to “love in sickness and in health”?  I mean REALLY think about that.  I was having a conversation with a dear friend of mine at Christmas and I jokingly said, in my overly confident Jen tone, “I will never live with anyone.  At our age if one of us gets sick and I have to wipe some man’s butt, I am going to be married to him!”  End of story, case closed…or so I thought.  During the countless trips to the hospital and as Clyde’s health continued to decline I had to recount those words to my friend, noting that God often times has a sense of humor.  I don’t think that God was laughing at me really, in all honesty, however what He did allow me to see was what true love, unconditional love for another human being looked like.  I was able to put aside all of the mean, cruel, and just Clyde type things, and help this man who took us in and was the only male figure in our lives.  Did he get this wrong at times?  Yes, but as a parent myself, who doesn’t.  Were there times when we wanted to walk away, despite what we had told our mom?  You bet we did!   But it was in watching this now frail man, who had no control of his body, light up if we walked into a room.  It was in watching this now frail man still argue with us when we told him he couldn’t smoke a cigar and wear oxygen.  It was in watching this now frail man use every last bit of strength he could muster and hold on to my hands for dear life up until the very last day that taught me what real true love, the “in sickness and in health, death do you part” kind of love looked like. His last lesson as a dad to teach me. 

In this age of Social Media overload, people of all ages are so quick to want to judge others based on the pictures they post or the job that they have, while completely overlooking THE most important feature of a person.  Their heart.  What is their ability to feel compassion and empathy?   Where are they going to be when sickness sets in?  And as someone now over the age of 50, let’s be honest, sickness does eventually set in.  I have watched how my own children helped me during this time and I am so very proud of them.  Their spouses will be in wonderful hands, but the past several months have had a profound impact on me.  I remember our high school civics teacher telling us we should never date anyone we wouldn’t want to marry.  Well I think at my age that should be worded a little differently, “Never date anyone who wouldn’t stand by you in sickness and in health.”  Who is going to hold your hands when the going gets tough, look you in the eyes, and no matter the prognosis make you feel like everything is going to be okay?  Whose face lights up when you enter a room?  Who shows compassion and empathy to others when no one is around?  Who is willing to roll up their sleeves and make life a little better for you one day at a time?  I don’t want to see a picture, I want to see your heart.

Clyde was one tough cookie and now we have him and mom looking out after us from up above.  So on this first Father’s Day without him, I am sure they are enjoying an afternoon totty, looking down on my brother and me, affectionately saying, “You did good guys.  Don’t worry, Jen…you’ve got this!”  This “man’s man” who taught me to shoot and trap alligators, left this earth teaching me how to truly love.  In the end, it was a blessing to us both and the greatest gift he could have ever given to me.  So I encourage you to look at your own heart and ask the very tough question, “Can I love those around me in sickness and in health?”  I can promise you this, if you can, if you can love them with complete and total unconditional love, you will receive the most precious gift that life can ever offer.

Happy Father’s Day Paw, we will miss you!  Love, Jen     

Be Bold

Hi everyone!

Since this is the month in which we most celebrate love, I find that I have so much to say and share. Writer's block is not something I have trouble with, but the key I think is to be selective with my words. This can apply to all of us as we interact with those we love - family, friends, significant other - and to ourselves as well.  I wrote the week of Valentines about speaking life into others, but I found that those thoughts started me thinking.

My love for maps, my love of adventure and curiosity about my life journey have brought me to a new place. The little note cards I printed to encourage my precious friend were also encouraging to me as well.  His heart of gold was allowing me to also identify my own worthiness.  The process of creating him a gift to brighten his day was at the same time allowing me to view life without the rose colored glasses. 

In the south, when people want to go after something with gusto, and sometimes in a reckless manner, you will often hear the saying, "Hold my beer!" My life journey has led me to a point where I find it is time to take things to a new level with my creativity and writing - it's a "hold my beer" kind of boldness or in my a case, a "Hold my diet root beer!" After all, if I am going to make bold life changes, then I want them to encompass all areas of my life - creatively, physically, and spiritually - how I write, how I create, and how I love others.  But before I can do that I must first take care of me.

"The truest joy in life is to Love and to be loved in return."

This quote is one of my favorites and it is so true, however before we can truly love others, we must first realize our own worth.  We must first see that we have a heart of gold and then we must not be afraid to spend some quiet time praying and asking God to give us a "hold my beer...hold my diet root beer" kind of boldness. The kind of boldness that will allow us to go out into the world and let the work that comes from our hearts illuminate HIS existence in our lives.

We live in a time where the world so desperately needs to see Him as opposed to cat videos on Facebook. We live in a time where people post pictures of sunshine on social media, while privately their lives are filled with storms they do not want anyone to see. I have the privilege and honor of teaching young adults, so my life is a living, breathing testimony everyday. 

In order for us to make bold new changes in our lives, we must first reach a place where we are comfortable with who and where we are. We have to realize that God gave us our light and if we are using it for HIS glory, then we must not let others dim it. We must realize our worth. We must  embrace our creativity and other gifts He has given us.

For me spending time away from TV and social media out in my little cottage, where I can enjoy the woods or on nights like this, the rain, has been such a blessing. Quieting my surroundings so I can hear God's whispers have allowed me to also settle into knowing that I am indeed worthy - worthy of happiness - worthy of love - worthy of financial security - worthy of success!

Sometimes we have to wait for the pieces to fall into place, but may we wait with "Hold my diet root beer" kind of boldness and while we wait, while we make changes, may we love with complete abandonment. May we allow our hearts to illuminate hope and peace and joy for all to see and enjoy.  

As I enjoy this rainy February evening by the fire in my little cottage - as I watch the glow of the candles in this precious place, may I never forget to heed my own advise - may I never allow others or life circumstances to dim my light. 

Hugs! Jen

How's Your Heart

Hi everyone!

It’s that time of year – bears, candy, cards, and flowers appeared before the Christmas ornaments were put away to get people in the mood for romance, love, and Valentine’s Day.  And for some the excitement of waiting for the candy that goes on sale February 15^th.  I’m more of a “hand written note,” Lowe’s gift card kind of lady, but to each his or her own.  My kids will tell you I am the queen of the Hallmark channel, but what can I say?  Yes, I am guilty as charged.  I just don’t think we should let the times when we have been unlucky in love put a damper on our childlike faith and enthusiasm in the possibility of happily ever after, but I will not go off on my Cinderella tangent. 

For me personally, this time of year when we are surrounded by hearts means so much more.  As I have written before, when I put in my writing cottage I discovered during the process that the one word that best represents me is LOVE.  I smile as I look around while I am writing this because in my little corner of the world I seem to have hearts everywhere.  They are a wonderful reminder to me that hearts, just like people, come in all kinds of beautiful colors, shapes, sizes, and textures.  Different people show love in different ways, some sparkle like Bohemian crystal, some are rustic and their beauty is in their patina, and some may be broken, but the beauty that surrounds them makes them too precious to part with. 

While a lot of people think technology is a means to help us accomplish more, I find and research supports the fact that the fast pace has also resulted in the sad realization that people have a tough time slowing down enough to really do any soul searching so they can truly discover their heart’s desire.  In their quest to make money and to have a comfortable life they often find that they fall into relationships out of convenience or more like a business venture rather than a partnership through a lifelong adventure.  Their compatibility, happiness, love, and passion were not considered in the process, because in the fast past of the world around them, it never even seemed an option.  So in all actuality I would not consider myself unlucky in love, but rather I was unwilling to settle because I know, that I know, that I know that true love, not lust, but true love is comprised of compatibility, love, passion, and respect and does exist – it’s just a matter of not settling until God decides to surprise me with this precious gift for my heart.  However, I also feel that before we can find this with another person we must first have to find these elements within ourselves. 

As I have been leaning into life, I also find that it is sad that some people do not take the time to see what is inside the hearts of those around them.  This is especially true if the people they come in contact with have an outward appearance that they do not deem is worthy of love.  The beauty of watching for God winks and not being afraid to share with the world the incredible things that the God has done in my life is that the following verse is etched in my soul.    

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

- 1 Samuel 16:7

I have not been placed on this earth to please man, but to look around me and see those who may need a hug or encouragement or one of my “Jen sized surprises.”  Coming to peace with this has brought tremendous freedom in my life and allowed my soul to find its wings. 

The shallow side of love is not a new phenomenon and cannot be blamed on technology, but in a world that is so quick to take life’s images to Photoshop so that the outer appearance seems picture perfect, it seems to have gotten a bit worse.  Even children at an early age seem to equate their outward appearance as a barometer to determine if they are worthy of love.  On the other hand, some people that we might think look like super models can also feel at times like the people in their lives do not see their hearts, but merely their physical appearance or the perceived balance in their checkbook.  In both cases, the beauty that lies within the heart of the child and the super model have been over looked. 

If I have learned nothing else in this journey called life it is this, love comes in all shapes and sizes.  If someone has an ugly attitude or disposition toward others and has a heart that does not know how to show compassion, then all of the money in the world cannot dress that up to look like a box of Russell Stover’s chocolates.  Loving and caring for others, and having compassion, this is not something that can be bought off of a shelf in your local department store.  Love, real love, is cultivated over time by experiencing hurt and heartache, life and death, joy and sorrow. 

Those of us who are veterans of the trenches of life can truly help others due to the fact that we have encountered some of the same life experiences that they may be going through.  We have survived, when at times we questioned if that was possible and we have the war wounds of life tucked away like long lost Girl Scout badges.  However, the beauty of it all lies in the fact that this is what enables us to reach out and offer a helping hand to those that are trying to follow the yellow brick road in hopes of finding their way back to Kansas.  Yes, I lived in Kansas.  No, I never saw the yellow brick road, but I have experienced all of the good and bad that life has to offer and in the process it has helped me cultivate the heart that I have today.  My travels around the world, the amazing people in my life who have been with me through the good and bad times, my love for creating and music and writing and surprising others, allows me to wake up each morning with a song on the heart and an outlook that sees each day as an adventure.  In a lot of ways I guess all of the hearts in my little home could be looked at as mile markers in my life journey.   

I read an article by Glennon Doyle Melton this weekend and the following quote really spoke to me.  “The Warrior knows that her heartbreak is her map.  It will lead her toward her purpose, her tribe.”  I think her article resonated in my soul because with respect to my own life, my heartbreak has laid out a beautiful map before me.  In fact, I am in the process of planning out my journey because my purpose, what makes my heart sing, was born out of heartache.  Is that any real surprise though?  Think about it, my three beautiful children were all born out of the pain of labor.  They have come to know the Lord because they have watched my own walk through pain, but have also seen that I have never doubted for a second the Lord’s love for me.  In fact, this is THE most important thing that I try to leave with everyone that comes into my life.  If they never remember anything else, I want my legacy to be that she loved with all her being, she never let go of her mustard seed, and she never doubted that God liked to wink at her. 

Until we meet again…         

Healing Moments

Hi everyone!

As my summer break came to a close, so many life events started unfolding at once.  Always one to see how many mountains I can move at once, the past several weeks taught me some very important things.

Don’t wait to get your life in order before you start living life because in the blink of an eye everything can change.  If you don’t take time to stop and smell the roses, or in my case the incredible scented candles in my cottage, then your body WILL make you stop one way or the other.  You WILL have to slow down.

Now having sickness hit at the most inopportune time is never a good thing, but through it so many things were brought into focus for me.  It’s so true, it isn’t who we have with us when we reach the top of the mountain, but who are the people in our lives that have been helping us climb all along.  

A dear friend of mine recently told me that when she was near me Ruth always came to mind and tonight I received the most beautiful and precious God wink.  I took some time to go out to my cottage and when I looked up from writing Ruth’s words seemed to light up my cottage brighter than the candles that illuminated the space.

“Wherever you go I will go & wherever you stay I will stay.” ~ Ruth 1:16

Sometimes the Lord just wants us to rest, to stay where we are because He is working on our road map and before He wants us to continue on our journey He has to align everything so that it fits into His will for our lives.  Yes, sometimes we wait due to illness or natural disaster or divorce or death or various and other assorted ways.  

The key though is that no matter how long it takes, we must wait and hold on to our faith, even if that faith is only the size of a mustard seed, because the storms of life while pass, the sun will shine again.  But while we wait, we need to hold on to those who bring sunshine into our lives, even on rainy and somewhat stormy days.  

Accept their unconditional love like a fresh cut bouquet of flowers – forget nothing about these times, both the good and the bad moments, because it is both the good and the not so good times in our lives that mold us into the “one of a kind” gifts that God created us to be. 

Take time for what you love and for who you love – trust me, it is THE best medicine ever!!

Soup on a Sunny Day

Hi everyone!

Over the past several days, though life has had me slow down a bit to deal with this cold, I have found that the result has been a wave of new material for my books.  It is exciting, yet a tad bit overwhelming at times.  

I have come to the conclusion that often times writers aren’t born, life just makes us that way.  

Literally during some of the most unpleasant times in my life I have had friends like Sarah Bernard tell me, “WAIT, WAIT – like I know what you are going through is really horrible, but I can only think about your books.  YOU HAVE TO WRITE THIS DOWN!!  I’m sorry, but when I talk to you I just always think of how you need to put this into your books.  Your life is like this tragic comedy, but you have to write it down because no matter what you go through, you always come out okay.”  

Yes, there have been times when we have laughed through the tears and the pain that I have reminded her, “BELIEVE me – I WILL NOT FORGET THESE DETAILS!”

 

So I guess not only do I now have a creative tribe of friends, but I also have an incredible group of friends that have become by surrogate family tribe as well.  My friend Kathy has been rock and has walked with me through one of the scariest times in my life.  Yet we filled notebook after notebook with the tails of this unfortunate adventure, because some things are so unbelievable I just can’t make them up.  My Cajun friend Kim has spent many years on this journey with me and she knows me better than almost anyone.  The list could go on and on and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but that really isn’t my point tonight.

As I made tortellini soup, a favorite at my house when we aren’t feeling well, I couldn’t help but think of how much our lives are like the things we cook.  Sometimes we have to put things that might not seem appetizing at first into our recipes, but when we are done we have created a culinary master piece.

Aren’t our lives like that too?  Sometimes we have to go through times that may seem wonderful at first, yet turn into a disaster, or unpleasant at first - may be hot to the touch, or cold in terms of how we are treated, but isn’t it this combination of hot and cold, sour and sweet, that in the end can lead to the most delectable of creations that becomes out life?

Yes, sometimes life has us slow down a bit so that we can celebrate the aroma of what is around us and what we have been given.  So we can tell what needs to be added to our life and what we need to take away, so that in the end, like food, we feel, warm, comforted, and loved.

Until tomorrow…. 

Creative Chaos

Hi everyone!

Yes, at 1:20 AM I should soooo be asleep since I have so much to accomplish in a few hours, but this is what happens when a doctor gives you 2 shots at 3 PM to try and help you get well.  I had said earlier on Facebook that I knew this would mean lots of writing for me and wow has that been the truth.

As I sat here trying to fall asleep, without much success, I couldn’t help but think of all of my different projects.  Creatives are often known for taking on too much and finishing very little.  On more than one occasion I have had people ask me how I juggle the many hats that I wear and I think I have found the answer.

I have always been a multitasker, hey I was an Army wife for 18 years – I was taught this from the moment I stepped of the plane in Germany.  You hear me say over and over how blessed I am, but I have an amazing career that lets me teach young adults how they CAN come to like and even LOVE computers because we can use them to make incredible things and literally change the world.  I have a friend that for 14 years has laughed and said, “Do you still love your job?”  And I can honestly tell her yes.  There aren’t many people that can do this.

So over the weekend I embroidered; today I was writing; and tonight I posted a picture of my Garden Glitter.  How do I decide what I want to do?  How do I get it done? 

In July we celebrate Independence Day and for me July 2015 was not only a real life Independence Day, but it also marked a time in my life when God opened doors for me I never thought I would have the chance to walk through again.  It was literally like the butterfly finally getting free from the cocoon and being told, it’s all yours - go for it – it’s time. 

So I did, I swam with the Sharks and went back to school.  I wrote research and chapters for my books at a feverish pace.  And then the funniest thing happen, then I started to see pieces of the puzzle of my life that I only dreamed of in my writings take shape.  The girl/The woman who had been told her whole life she had a bad habit of not finishing things was doing it with every ounce of her being.  I dreamed, planned, and brought to fruition THE Curiosity Cottage that had always been in my heart, but now was a place I could show the world.  One by one, person by person, and detail by detail God let it all fall into place – in a way that I had only dreamed of.  But once again it so beautifully illustrated that His timing is ALWAYS better than ours and when He is behind it the results are truly breath taking.

So now what, how do I keep this constructive creative journey going since my life is now free from chaos?  Well it starts by first becoming comfortable enough with me, finally after 50 years, that I realize I love to do things and explore – after all from the very beginning I have said Curiosity Cottage was “a place to explore my curiosity of life” – and if I am not comfortable exploring the world in my own little space, then how could I possible do this anywhere else?  Yes it is time to simplify and get rid of things that I don’t need.  That will come over the next several months.  With each new step; with each new accomplishment; and each time that I try out these new wings, I will get there.

I have come to the conclusion that it is okay if I embroidery sometimes, and write sometimes.  There is nothing wrong with making Garden Glitter in the spring so people can put it in their gardens, but lamps in the summer out of tea pots when people don’t want to go outside.  It’s OK to learn new things and go on new adventures. 

In other words, there is no right or wrong way to be a creative.  We don’t have to pick one certain craft, hobby, or passion and do that forever.  For me personally I would die of boredom. 

When our community started Maker Mornings with Todd Henry as the first speaker, I don’t think anyone fully realized the impact that this was going to have.  Just yesterday someone in our Maker Morning Tribe commented on how we are not competing with each other.  Instead, our creative energy is actually having a snowball effect.  I was being an accidental creative before I ever heard about the book.  I wanted to die empty before anyone every told me I should.  And I was combing art with technology before I ever knew that LSU was turning this into a whole degree program.  I just thought I was out in left field, never knowing there was actually a tribe out there doing this same thing.

Being a creative can often be a lonely life.  Often times some of the people closest to us just don’t get us.  If we aren’t careful they can inadvertently crush out spirit.  But having a group of like minded creatives – well I think there are a lot more butterflies in Central Louisiana finding their way out of their cocoons than any of us could even imagine just yet!

Until tomorrow or later today…

What's Your Word??

Hi everyone!

This is one Valentine's Day that I couldn't wait to get here!!!  Not because I have any earth shattering news or new love in my life, but because this holiday just seems to totally embody the whole essence of my little cottage.

For years I dreamed of her; for months I wrote of her; and then the pieces of the puzzle all fell into place YEARS sooner than I ever dreamed possible.

As I went about writing my favorite bible verses on the studs of her walls I felt such peace. I wanted this to be a place where when I create I am just wrapped in God's Word.  After I got the tin ceiling home, I also learned that it was approximately 100 years old and came out of a friend's great-grandfather's barn. If that tin could talk, oh the stories it could share with me as I write my own.

So in the middle of the entire process of finishing off the inside I took a break one night to watch Eat, Pray, Love for probably the 20th time.  Hey, what can I say, I love chick flicks!!  However, in the movie they ask Liz what word would she use to represent herself - not what she did for a living, but word embodied her as a person.

For weeks I had been gathering things to go inside my cottage and one of the elements included three little signs that had the saying my kids told me related to love.  I have always collected hearts an signs that say love over the years too. After watch that movie though it hit me - my word is LOVE.

This isn't just romantic love, it's the love I feel toward my children & friends; toward my colleagues & my students;  toward the things I create & the gifts I give to other people.

No, my life has not been easy, but NO matter what is thrown at me, I ALWAYS have LOVE.

So why some singles despise Valentine's Day, I embrace her, cherish her, and use the day to create things of love that I can share with the world.

Until tomorrow...

When One Door Closes

Hi everyone!

WOW, it's only day 4 of our 100 Days of Making and some of us in the tribe are already saying to each other, "so at the end of the 100 days, can we do this again??"  It is so very, very exciting to be a part of this incredibly talented group of people.  The support and encouragement is lighting a spark in so many of us.  Some are trying new things and some are dusting off old art & craft supplies, breaking out long forgotten materials and using our hobbies and skills to show the AMAZING gifts that God has blessed us all with in our community.  For bloggers/writers like me, this may even entail sharing our stories with the world.

"If you build it they will come" - well Maker Mornings built it and we are coming out of the woodwork. :)  This movement to combine creativity with technology and industry is something that I have waited my entire life for.  Being a creative often times means that we are interested in more than one thing - I teach, blog & write by day, embroider by night, paint glue and create Garden Glitter on the weekends.  The point is - have fun using the gifts God has given you.  Take time to smell the roses and take a few pictures of them if you want.  Or use the rose petals to make potpourri.

As Elizabeth Gilbert teaches us in Big Magic, there is no right or wrong way to create.  The curiosity that she writes about has been the very heart of me and my business before her book ever became a thought and yet, for me it is such total confirmation of the path that I now find myself on again, but in an entirely new way.  We are not necessarily creating for the world, though it is great if the world enjoys what we have to show our audience, no matter how big or small that audience may be.  We create to release our inner child; to heal from old wounds; to deal with life and death; and to have a little part of ourselves that we can leave behind to the world when we are gone.  I love to create elaborate surprises for people, because for me I get just as much joy out of giving as I do receiving.

My Curiosity Cottage has been constructed with love and inspiration given to me by those that I cherish the most in my life.  By taking the love that they have given me and using it as the fuel the brings my vision to life, the end result can then be something I can share with the world around me.  I wanted it to be a place where others could feel the same unconditional love and acceptance that I have been blessed enough to have and a place where one can be still and hear the gentle whispers from God.


So I encourage you to take some time - take some quiet time to listen for the whisper and watch for the God winks.  What have you been wanting to create?  Try it, you might just like it and want to be a part of 100 Days of Making too.

You see, sometimes God has to close a door or two in our lives so He can lead us  through the doors that we have waited our whole life for.

I'll see you tomorrow!