What new thing is God calling you to do this year that requires creativity? What about this week?
I think about this a lot lately. Your family and certain friends may not understand, but I understand. More importantly, God understands. And no wonder:
“The Spirit moves in us, giving us the mind of Christ that feeds our creative life. This abundance is scary; it is deeper than we can imagine. What would we do if we were epxeriencing God continually, available in every minute to use our abilities fully for him? It is too much for our little selves to handle. So don’t handle it. Do the thing God has put in front of you. Start there and be fully available to the new thing he will acomplish as you do it.” ~
The Creative Life: A Workbook for Unearthing the Christian Imagination
A Woman Inspired is hosting a new conference, January 25-29, 2010 dedicated to nurturing creativity and efficient living:
“Have you been in touch with your inner creative diva? Do you want to learn to express yourself through paint mediums, culinary masterpieces, vibrant rooms or maybe through your own life as the canvas? Well, you can get inspired here.
Whether you feel stuck in a rut or just don’t know where to begin we can help. I’m confident that many of you have a pile of unfinished projects or maybe put off doing things simply because you feel you don’t have the time. We have all been there and can definitely relate. We would like you help get some momentum going so that you can begin to create and design no matter what your canvas preference is.”
You’ll learn how to:
* develop your God given talents and gifts
* push past creative blocks
* further your education in the area of your choice
* be more productive
* be more focused
* let your light shine!
Remember, all A Woman Inspired conferences are entirely online. No travel is required, you can listen in wearing your jammies, and MP3’s are included with the cost of your ticket!
Find more info and register here!
The chocolate layer reminds us that we are sinful.
The red layer reminds us that Jesus shed his blood for our sins.
The white frosting reminds us that Jesus has given us a clean heart.
The green layer reminds us to grow in Christ.
The yellow decorations remind us of heaven.
The candles remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Teacup candles :
“Gather some craft-store wicks, wax (or old candles) that can be melted down, old teacups, and maybe a fragrance or two. You might look in thrift stores for some pretty single teacups, with or without saucers, for less than a dollar. Melt the wax in a double boiler, add fragrance if desired, and support the wick standing in the teacup while carefully filling the cup with wax. When the wax cools, it will contract and form a well. You can add more melted wax of the same color or add a second shade.” See How to Make Teacup Candles more pics and further instructions.
Here’s an especially sentimental gift that means more than any store-bought item! You can use any kind of jar:
Memory/love jar: “The best gift I ever gave my mom was a “love jar.” I put 52 scraps of paper, each with a different typed message telling her about a memory I was grateful for like “I’m grateful for every meal you ever cooked, especially the ones you felt least like making”, and put them in a clean candle jar with a lid, wrapped some raffia with instructions around the outside to “open once a week.”
“The most wonderful gift I’ve ever given cost me almost nothing. I contacted friends and family members and asked them to send me memories and old pictures of my grandfather. Then I wrote one memory (or printed one picture) on each of 365 business card sized pieces of cardstock. I folded each in half and secured it with a bit of tape, then placed them all in a big jar I decorated. Every morning for the next year, my grandfather would take out a paper, open it, and see what other people cherished in him. He loved it.” See How to Make Memory Jars
Merry Christmas friends ♥
Other resources:
Clutter-free Gifts
Gifts You Can Make Yourself
“Come and share a pot of tea; my home is warm and my friendship’s free.” ~ Emilie Barnes
‘Tis the season to sweat and toil, some think. I refuse. Instead, the bulk of my seasonal energy goes into something we call the Gaines Girls Christmas Tea. It’s become our favorite tradition, and this year grew twice its size. What a lovely time together!
God is expanding my vision for tea time to include whosoever will come throughout the year. Nothing like a cup of hot tea, scones, and encouragement for a woman’s heart. We all need a little respite from life’s troubles. Until the next tea, visions of recipes and themes dance through my head - can’t wait to see where this leads!
Fill my cup with Christmas joy and send me your ideas for various themes we could use during the year. This will put my teapots to good use, don’t you think?
Merry Christmas, readers and writers. We are blessed!
“Time for you and time for me, and time yet for a hundred indecisions, and for a hundred visions and revisions, before the taking of a toast and tea.” ~ T.S. Eliot
A busy week at the Gaines cottage, preparing for Christmas Tea with my girls.
Today I leave with you a couple quotes about the artistic temperament. See what you think. The artist is often described as sensitive, analytical, melancholy, and moody on the one hand, but also easily moved by hypocrisy, injustice, and suffering. More on this later; I think the world needs artists:
“Everyone with an artistic temperament has been told at some point in his or her life to develop a thicker skin. That’s nonsense! The world doesn’t need more thick-skinned people. It needs more people who are sensitive and tender.” ~ Rory Noland
“”We learn from the artists, from those who work in paint or words, or musical notes, from those who have eyes that see and ears that hear and hearts that feel deeply and passionately about all that is sacred and dear to God.” ~ Ken Gire
