The Journey Girls

I have been in a Bible study called "The Healing Journey," by Cyndy Sherwood.

It has definitely been a journey 

and I  have taken it with five other ladies.

On the last day of the study

one of the ladies mentioned praying for her

'journey girls.'

And an idea began in my little brain.

Here they are!

Aren't they so cute!

They are modeled after my 'journey girls' of course,

with lots of hidden messages in this collage.

Now, I am a beginner at this

art stuff,

so I'm not sure what to do with it

for all the ladies.

Or where to have it done,

t-shirts, mugs,

plaques.

Still thinking on how to share

it with 6 of us.

Here is another one I had to do some

technique practicing before I was ready

to put the journey girls on canvas.

I didn't even realize until they were

both done that they went together with the same 

message.

Healing.

He does long to heal us.  Love that.

I need to dwell in that today.

Got to looking at some

old photos and

had a weeping session.

Life hasn't been what

I had hoped and dreamed for.

Initially.

But it can be awesome.

Still.

In a new way.

It is actually,

but healing is a process.

No, 'okay all done, all fixed now.'

Moment by moment.

Finding the good.

The precious.

Cherishing it.

I am very thankful that

my journey girls have  helped me so much this year.

Do you have journey girls?

Friends who can help you through the

muck.

Rejoice with you in the yippees?

I hope so.

Maybe you can be that for someone else.

Friends in the journey.

blessings,

deedee

Today I choose to live in hope.

Hope
hang onto it,
never let it go.
Christ wants to give you
the desires of your heart.
It says so right there
in Psalm 20:8.


Wow.
Really?


That is amazing to ponder.


I've been playing in the newly tidied work area
in my garage.  Now that it is warmer,
I can take my paint
and wood
and mess, there's a lot of that
and not worry
that the kitchen is a wreck.
The kitchen gets to be a wreck
all by itself!


Here is a sampling of what I've been collaging 
(the dictionary tells me that's not spelled right.)
This is actually my practice board
for the piece I have in my
head, got to try those 
techniques and figure things out.
I'll post the one
that's in my head,
"The Journey Girls,"
when it gets more complete.


Live in hope,
deedee

Use your 'big girl words'

I work in preschool.

Yesterday 

another adult in the class said these words,

"use your big girl words,

crying isn't going to get you what you want!"

I had to write it down

and tell her I was

turning it into a sign.

Not only are they good words for young ladies 

learning to be friends,

but for grown up girls too.

My big girl words,

my voice,

it took some time for me

to find it again,

but I never want to forget to

use my 'big girl words'.

'Cause they are worth hearing.

You are a gift and using 

the voice God gave

you 

matters.

A sampling of my  journals

as I was finding

those words.

God has been faithful to me.

He has carried me.

I want to share

that with people.

To give hope.

You may be in rough circumstances.

Most of us have to go through

the valley,

but He is the one

who restores our soul.

Don't lose sight of what is

possible

in your life.

How God can use your story,

How He longs to 

hear you

and heal you.

"Be strong and courageous

for the Lord your God

is with you wherever you go."

Even if it starts with a little squeak,

deedee

A time to play

It's biblical you know,

playing.

Well

maybe not,

but when I wrote the title,

it sounded like the chapter in

Ecclesiastes

"A time to plant...

A time to HEAL..

A time to tear down and a time to build,

A time to weep

and a time to LAUGH,"

Yeah, laugh!  It's in the Bible!

"A time to mourn and a time to DANCE.

A time to embrace...

A time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to search and a time to give up.

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to LOVE...

A time for

PEACE."

This garden was one of those places.

A garden of old metal,

flowers in unusual places.

Pieces of whimsy

that jumped 

out at you.

While traveling with my teenagers

last spring,

we stopped at Necessities in Hutchinson, KS.

They waited in the car

for mom to look at one more antique store.

I had to come back and get them

for a photo shoot, I was so inspired!

and the funniest thing happened....

they loved it!

They played.

There was a graveyard of old

VW's.

My daughter has wanted a hippie bus

forever.

You should have heard her squeal as she

took off running!

Don't forget to take time to play.

Enjoy those moments,

those ordinary ones

can easily turn into

EXTRAORDINARY moments.

play hard,

deedee

live in hope

I'm in a Bible study called

the Healing Journey

look it up, it's

an amazing study by

Cindy Sherwood that takes you through 

almost 30 weeks of

processing your garbage

and letting God

have it.

All of it.

Some things I am learning this week are 

that I want to get

back to 

living in hope.

dreaming with possibility.

I want to live wholeheartedly

and purposefully.

unafraid.

look at this girl!
that's me
full of dreams and hopes
she is braver than she thinks.
stronger because of Jesus.


She's ready to let her contagious joy show!

I hope you find
healing on your journey.
We're all broken people
and we can
be made new in Jesus.
That's actually part of the mission statement
of my church.  Written larger
than life reminding
us weekly
we are being made new.


lovin' who God made me to be,
deedee

Be strong and Courageous

Refuse to give up hope.
Tell your story.
Be strong and courageous,
overflow with joy.
Reflect on how far you've come.
Stop criticizing yourself.
Count your blessings,
over and over.
Cherish your family...   a lot!
Give praise and credit to God.

Pray, it's enough.
Trust.
Live fearlessly for the Lord and
speak of His faithfulness.


A lesson in good self talk that

I have hanging above my work table.

I was lost

for a time.  Don't

want to forget

who God made me to be.

And all that he has in store for me.

It's time to dream again

and remember to

hope.

"My soul stood straight."

Stand straight.  Stand firm.  Be courageous.

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

With hope,

deedee

A breath of exhilarating fresh air

I have saved this card for a number of years and just

happened across it today.

Brought me to tears.

My dad has been gone for 3 years.

I cherish this reminder

of how much he loved me

and treasured who

I was.

I pray this

for all

little girls.

Not much beats a daddy's love.
Your daddy in heaven loves you like this.
Never forget that.

deedee

Counting Blessings

legs

arms

hands

friends

children

moms and dads

work

play

my faith

hope

opportunities

music

tears

laughter

just a few of the things I am thankful for.

Today I saw a person with prosthetic legs

and a prosthetic hand.

I was reminded how blessed

I truly am.

And inspired by him.

Don't know why, just was.

It's easy to forget to

Count those blessings.

One by one.

deedee