Made Course

Week 7 – Healing Leaves – Altered books are amazing. I just outlined words that spoke to me or depicted to me my wounds or struggles.
I guess they are truths to me at least in this earthly life. Meditating though on healing leaves re this lesson that Revelation 22:2 speak about.
We are told to pray that HIS kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I have things I’ve prayed for for years that have in fact got worse.. What are these healing leaves for the nations?
We are told to be as trees planted by streams of water.
My tree here is dry and depicts intense heat in the atmosphere. Yet the leaves are appearing as I focus/meditate on HIM who is truth and greater than the forces that come against me.
I’m learning faith will bring healing because a knowledge of the truth sets us free.. Knowledge is inner realm so I didn’t change the outer but am focusing on the truth instead..

Tree of Creativity

We are altering old books for week 7 “Made Course”.

Tree of Creativity.

The book itself wasn’t that old lol but I’m a bit annoyed our thrift stores ( we call them op shops) most are not cheap. Looking at 4 or 5 dollars for old books. No way this one was one dollar. It had a sleeve/cover that I took off.
Amazingly the book is red which really fits with my whole purpose of creating this particular sort of art.

We were to go back to our past, our roots. Ha ha I went right back to the Tree of Life. How’s that for the oldest past roots I could find. 🙂
Just going to explain my art because I can. I’ve not found I can just do art and leave it at that. Picture supposed to be a thousand words and all that jazz.

I stuffed the tree up it wasn’t planned to look like that. But you know that’s our life isn’t its composed of our good times and bad times. And it was at the very tree of life mankind made the biggest stuff up of all time which affects mankind even now.

Gold symbolises perfection.. Holiness. Glory.. The tree in the garden was a tree of life but eating of its fruit gave knowledge of good and evil. I had to go back to the bible for that bit.
Its part of all our history.. Our roots.

The old book I’m altering is called “The Old Country” symbolising our past.. God has made everything new through Jesus blood and sacrifice on the cross but obviously the old still counts its still part of the whole..

Cross created out of a tree too.. Red book symbolises his blood which has rewritten history and all of time actually. Covers everything!

I pasted a ripped out page under the rainbow symbolising his promises.. Highlighting words I love and that stood out to me. Red of course because everything is covered by his blood and his love.. Amazing words but the red kinda hides it and you can’t really read the words.. Hopefully my pic you can still read them.

Just an amazing and deep process this whole project if that’s the right word taking old and making something new..

Rachel Haas was the teacher of this weeks lesson.. Amongst the course material were these words that really stood out to me..

“I can change the words”

We had to journal first about our creative journey and that meant delving into our past.. Life for us all doesn’t necessarily take us the paths we would have chosen. Our lives can be difficult and hard and restricting. It can make our retelling depressing or you can feel it has little to no value. But something about the changing of the words just sparked me inside. I began to see everything differently.
I’ve always learnt religious ways from babyhood. And creative arts and artists and people who know the truth seem freer than I ever did growing up it wasn’t till I became an adult I started to find the truth and live liberated.. Seems different.. Seems out of the box. The wonderful strange parallel of life and spirt and the kingdom of God. Unseen but more real than what can pass away that we see and live in presently.

Even doing this project I can see that we can take our own life and the life we’ve been given and change the words.

See my photo for instance.

I split my photo – 1 side black and white sad or not happy.. Other side colour happy but doesn’t really show it.. Gold around me shows we are saved completely and made righteous but obviously spirit and flesh struggle.. In this world but not of this world.

This is what saves you faith in the one who says I’m Life (Jesus) believe in me. He says the old passes away yet we still battle with it. Take eyes of faith and a heart focused on His Kingdom and unseen presence to bring it to our reality.
Frees you.. Realising that no matter how our flesh goes through life.. He has saved us. What HE has done for us saves us. The body is just where we live it out. HE is the word. HE is the life. Faith brings it into our reality.

When you know the truth you will be set free! That changes everything else and the way you live and even the words you write with your life.

Rise Up Rooted

Sitting at the kitchen table middle of the day. Eating lunch – Tuna and beans out of a can.
Teenage son didn’t rise up for school like I knew he wouldn’t. I let in to his begs for mercy to stay overnight two nights ago. Knowing Mondays are his worst day. I gave in.
Didn’t listen to my gut sigh. Failed.

I’m not easily able to be understood even by those closest to me. Conversations sit hanging in the air because I can’t easily explain or fit into moulds I’m supposed too.

Others art works more easily applauded than my own. All my faults glare huge. I don’t strive to change that.

Yet despite my faults I sensed GOD strongly last night. In the bath tub of all places. HE has humour I will give him that.

Even if I can’t explain Him or make art that best depicts the wonder of HIM. (I couldn’t find a pic of a round earth that I could print sufficiently for my pic below). Hope it still makes sense.

Simple art works but the message is out of this world.

Today’s art is my day 24 of 30 days of a root journal project. Started in August lol. October and still going.

-Prompt-

Today’s Inspiration:

If we surrendered

to earth’s intelligence

we could rise up rooted, like trees.

– Rainer Maria Rilke wrote that

This is what I’m thinking. Earths intelligence comes from the mind of God. Humans being created in his likeness. There are words in the bible about being rooted.. This pic is based on visions I’ve had when I’ve faced giant tests in life. God showed me myself much bigger than the problems. I know not a reflection of myself but rather of His presence and power in me or my Spirit connected with HIS! How God can come and abide in humans does sound weird. But spirit is different to flesh. See verses below which all really fit together. So many I found that relate to what I’ve created here.

We are raised up to heavenly places because of Christ.
Trees are majestic. They can be so gigantic!
In Him we are purified… Because below you see the scripture that says we are blameless…. Well humanly we are not pure are we. But through Him we are made cleansed and pure.
Hope for everyone to rise up..

I didn’t go with art journalling a tree but we as Gods children are even likened to trees – oaks! See below.. 🙂

Knowledge of the truth will set you free!!!

Colossians 2:7
Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Ephesians 2:6
Raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 3:17-19 New Living Translation (NLT)
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Philippians 2:15
so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

Isaiah 61:3
and provide for those who grieve in Zion– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Romans 8:20-21
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Find the author Lisa Sonora of the 30 days root journal project and see her submission at this link below.

http://www.lisasonora.com/rise-up-rooted/

Dazzled

ROOT: 30 Day Journal Project

Day 23

Today’s Inspiration:

“You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and every moment of your life.”

— Walt Whitman said that

//

I am still going on this 30 days lol and its very spaced out.. Important to finish.. I am a procrastinator so finishing something is exceptionally good for me.

These have always been good prompts and no matter when I do them they have been timely.

I’m just going to jot down what I penned on this pic and maybe through-out elaborate a bit more. Only so much you can write on a single art journaling page.

Train your eye to see it. Light is from GOD. GOD is everywhere. Photo taken in Torquay Australia. 4 of my 5 children came with me just recently for a few days holiday. Torquay is on the coast of my state! My parents paid for a surfside cabin for us for two nights. It was during school break! Even though for us it’s Spring, the weather was cool and not a lot of people around. Usually the place is packed especially at holiday time. I am grateful for moments on the beach with my kids when there was no one else around.. Thankful also that it didn’t rain. It was so sweet of my parents to do this.. I couldn’t have afforded it!

Rays of sunlight coming out of the clouds. When I see these rays I see GOD.

In the photo they are not that easy to see, you do have to do as the quote above says. Train your eyes to see..

They were streaming down though and although not as bright as many I’ve seen. They were still visible and I was glad I captured them on a picture!!!

Of all places to see these rays, that I saw them while on holiday has special significance to me. Dazzling!

Icing on the cake!!

As the word says in the picture.. What makes life simple?

Rays in the sky make me look up in the natural world. They are where I am. I don’t need to do anything special to see them. Or pay money lol as so many special phenomena displayed in the world you’re so often charged to see it.

Makes me thankful. Appreciative of life and that in the ordinary moments just being out in nature, we are reminded that we are taken care of by an extraordinary GOD.

Appreciative of life, light, being in the right place at the right time.

At this moment and whenever I view such an image. I am dazzled by HIS presence seen through creation and all my worldly cares/distractions fade away from sitting heavy on my mind and heart.. You do become lighter in spirit. I can enjoy everything better..

Once you see GOD in these ways.

Suddenly you begin to see similar everywhere..

Wings Of Prayer And Love

Writing didn’t come up very well on it.. I didn’t have blue ink only purple lol so it became an angry sea 🙂
My daughter commented that she loved the colours..
Encourages my heart..

Focused here on being carried over or through storms..

Ive gone through many storms and although physically you go through it and it’s hard.. Spiritually we can soar above held by HIS love and peace and especially prayers..

Exodus 33:14
The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.