A New Look, A New Bible Study, and Possibly A New Self-Discovery

I thought it was time for a new look on my blog, and this is the (free) design I decided to go with.  What do you think?  I like the colours, the brightness, and it makes me think of summer back home.

In my last post, I mentioned about being sick with the flu. Well, I also ended up with a cold and it lasted a couple of weeks.  Although I had a little bit of the cough left, it wasn't bad and it was pretty much gone.  Well, last Saturday (about two weeks after I had been sick with the flu) I woke up to a congested cough and have had it for the last week.  I've had a bit of sneezing and runny/stuffy nose with it, but it's mostly been the cough that doesn't seem to want to go away.  And, Wednesday I ended up with my right eye being a little itchy and by the end of the day it was red and watery as well.  No, I didn't (and don't) have pink eye.  The redness has pretty much disappeared (except if I've been on the computer too long), but it's still watery and the itchiness only lasted a little bit at work - though I guess from time to time there is a little bit of an itch, but it's not bad and it doesn't last.  I really can't wait until I'm all better again.  I hate being sick.

I decided to take this weekend to rest and hopefully get myself better.  I've been catching up on some knitting (started a new fair isle hat), a little reading, and I've been working on the Bible study for the one we recently started for this session at my Monday night Bible study.  Tomorrow is a holiday  here (Family Day), and I keep forgetting and thinking I have to go to work, but I don't.  I hope to do some more knitting and maybe some art journalling.

In my Bible study, the first chapter is dealing with the verse that talks about not worrying about tomorrow (well, there is more, but this is the part I want to focus on).  I'm a worrier. I think I get that from my mother.  Part of the study includes journalling our prayers.  I've written down prayers in a journal before, but just specifics like "praying for my cold to go away" and then drawing a line to write the date when it gets answered, as well as the date I record it.  This one, however, is requiring much more than that.  We have to write down the actual prayer we would pray, the situation, etc.  So, while I was doing that, I made a discovery (it probably came from the Holy Spirit) that my worry seems to be rooted in fear and lack of trust.  I won't go into specific details, but that is what I am concluding so far.

I hope through this Bible study I will grow in my faith and walk - and in other areas of my life as well.

Well, I'm off now to watch some more of the Olympics and cheer for the Canadians!

Go Canada!!

It's The End of June Already!

Where has the time gone?  It's the end of June already!

I know I've been away from this for several months. I had really, honestly hoped I would get back into the swing of keeping a blog. Obviously that didn't work out. Mostly it was from not feeling motivated, and lack of energy to just do it (stemming from work).

And now that summer is upon us, I am heading back home again. I don't know how much access I'll have to the Internet, so I don't think my postings throughout the summer will be happening - unless I can convince my mom (with whom I'll be staying this summer) to get Internet just for while I'm there, and of course I'd pay for it since she doesn't use it.

I've kept up with my journals quite a bit (the ones I mention in the previous post). I have two - a general quote type and a Bible verse type. In the general one I mostly write quotes that I like and doodle or draw a simple picture. It's really very basic.  In the Bible verse one, I record verses from when I read my Bible or see one posted online, or hear one in church. I also tend to mostly have doodles and simple drawings in this, but I have "expanded" a little bit. Since my journal has ordinary paper, I bought some gesso to apply to it so that I could use watercolours on it. I've tried it twice now, and while my drawings and paintings are very basic and amateurish, I liked the results. 

I've been pinning a lot of journal ideas to my Pinterest board of the same name. I don't necessarily plan on doing all of them, but there are things about the ones I've pinned that I like: it might be a colour scheme, a quote, a doodle, or design.  I've even pinned a few videos that show how to create some specific journal pages. The ones I've watched were pretty cool, and over the summer I'd like to incorporate those ideas into my own journals.  This, I know, will require practice - and lots of it!  I don't mind though; I'm finding it quite relaxing.  I want to also continue practicing drawing (yesterday I practiced drawing a butterfly landing on a flower and it actually looks cute...not perfect by any means, but cute none the less).

This morning, as I was reading my Bible (in Hebrews 13), I used two verses from there for my Bible verse journal.  The first one is: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (verse 2).  The second is: The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me? (verse 6).  I've illustrated the first verse, a very simple sky and what are supposed to be clouds, though they don't really look like clouds. I need some definition or something in them.  I have yet to draw something for the second verse. I'll probably look through Pinterest to get some ideas.

Well, if I don't get the chance to post over the next few months, I wish one and all a safe and happy summer!

Practice Makes Perfect

This was day two of being back to work since having two weeks off for Spring Break.

I must say that although I didn't do much, I was able to relax, catch up on rest, catch up on reading (I read about five and a half or six books during that time), and I even managed to do a little bit of cooking.

But, as I said, I am back to work now. And these past two days have found me exhausted by the end of the day!  I didn't expect to be quite so tired so soon, but then I realized that I am getting used to being on my schedule again.

Recently, towards the end of Spring Break, I discovered journals. I was on Pinterest looking for ideas to use in class, and somehow I came across some art and Scripture journals - or at least pages that people have created for their journals. I really loved the way they looked and how they were set up.  I'm not an artist, but I do like to play around with paint and draw from time to time (though it hasn't been much lately, but I did take painting lessons for a year about ten years ago, and I also took a drawing class in university about six years ago).  Seeing all those creative pages inspired me, and I want to try some myself. I don't have much in the way of supplies, but I will make do and see how this goes.  This might be a good way for me to practice painting and drawing - and being creative. I've got a few simple pages done, but didn't have any pencil crayons or anything at home to colour them with (I'll need to work on that). Also, the paints I have are water colour and the journals I'm using aren't set up for that so I think I will cut up some of the water colour paper I have (into smaller pieces) and use that and either make my own journal or just lay them separately in a box/container loosely.

We'll see how it goes. If any of them turn out decently, I may share them here or on my knitting/craft blog (which I haven't updated in eons because I haven't been doing any knitting).

One reason I decided to attempt these types of journals was because I'm always saying that I wish I could draw and paint. Well, the thought occurred to me...if I don't practice these things, and try, then of course I won't be able to do it. I can't expect to just pick up a pencil or paint brush and be able to create beautiful images! It takes work - practice - and only then will I be able to do these things and develop my own style. I have to put in the work if I want the results. I need to be disciplined in this.

That goes for anything - learning something new, losing weight, perfecting a skill. Practice makes perfect as they say.

And, some day I hope to glorify the Lord with my creativity. It might not be now or any time soon, but if I keep at it, that day will come!