Finding joy in the everyday

Art Friday: Greta Guzek I love colour and that is the reason why I was attracted to these - they are so bright, cheerful and bold. Great completed a Fine Arts Degree in South Africa where she grew up, and then moved in 1980 to Vancouver working as a designer and illustrator. Since 1990 Greta has lived and worked as a painter and art instructor from her studio in Gibsons. If you want to look at more of her works, her website is:  http://gretaguzekpaintings.com ******

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.   ( Hebrews 10:24-25) Lend Me Your Hope  I seem to have mislaid mine  (Author Unknown) Lend me your hope for a while, I seem to have mislaid mine. Lost and hopeless feelings accompany me daily, pain and confusion are my companions. I know not where to turn. Looking ahead to future times does not bring forth images of renewed hope. I see troubled times, pain-filled days, and more tragedy. Lend me your hope for a while, I seem to have mislaid mine. Hold my hand and hug me; listen to all my ramblings, recovery seems so far distant. The road to healing seems like a long and lonely one. Lend me your hope for a while, I seem to have mislaid mine. Stand by me, offer me your presence, y...

Something unusual happened to me at the supermarket the other day. The place was packed and people were anxious to grab what they wanted and get away. As I waited my turn at a plastic bag dispenser, the elderly woman ahead of me tore off a bag and, instead of keeping it to herself, offered it to me with a smile.The gesture was spontaneous and completely unexpected. I know it sounds piffling, but this minor moment put a shine on the day. As I went about my shopping I found myself being more thoughtful of others than is my usual state of mind in the free-for-all known as the supermarket. it was a simple demonstration of the therapeutic power of courtesy. I bet she felt just as pleased as I did.  (Source of quote: The Penguin Book of Etiquette by Marion Von Adlerstein) The other day in Aldi I let a young girl go before me as she only had a couple of items (I think she was shopping for her mum) and I had a bag full. She looked surprised and happy, perhaps because not t...

~ Wheel Barrow ~ You may think this is an odd one to include in my random list (random lists are meant to be odd!!) - but I have always wanted an old wheelbarrow in my garden so I can grow flowers in it.  I don't own one and I have never found a lovely looking old wheelbarrow.  Aren't these all great examples. One day perhaps!! I could make one!! What do you think?? Photos sourced from Pinterest *****

Australia has two young men on death row in Indonesia. Their days are numbered and could be killed by firing squad at any time. Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were part of a group of eight young men and one woman who attempted to smuggle 8kgs of drugs into Australia strapped to their bodies ten years ago. The Indonesian government were alerted by Australia law enforcement officers and they were captured at the airport in Bali on their way home to Australia. The ringleaders, Chan and Sukumaran were given the death penalty, the remaining members of the “Bali Nine” have been given between 20 years to life in prison.  There is no doubt of their guilt and they admit their wrong.  Many Australians find the death penalty abhorrent, I am one of those people. But this post isn't about the death penalty and whether it is right or wrong. It is about forgiveness. These men have made terrible mistakes and need to pay for their crim...

Art Friday: Karen Hollingsworth This is an artist that really likes windows, chairs and curtains blowing in the wind. I have to say, I find these paintings very serene and peaceful and can just imagine the breeze blowing across my face from the sea. Wouldn't it is nice to have a bed under the window and allowing the sea to rock you gently to sleep. However one can see too many windows after a while - so I hope I haven't overdone the windows and curtain paintings!! She also likes paper bags (who doesn't).  If you want to see more of Karen Hollingsworth's work, here is a  LINK to her page. I just love this painting, can  you imagine sitting this chair reading with the sea breeze in your hair!! This painting says "summer" loud and clear!! Something a bit different! *****

It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do. Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility *****

Who am I? I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am an aunt. I am a niece. I am a cousin. I am a friend. I am many many things Each one of these titles add up to make a whole - they are who I am as a person.  I am not just "me" (whatever that might mean), I am far more than just that. We are the product of all our roles and it is these many roles that shape each one of us and makes us all different. We are women of many hats. We wear many different hats as women. Each hat requires something different from us and impacts how we interact in our world with other people. Each has its own set of expectations and obligations. Each represents a piece of our divided self, with our many identities, which is often sliced up neatly like a Thanksgiving pie. We may be friend, daughter, girlfriend, sister, mother, wife, grandmother, counselor, career woman, pastor’s wife, student, coach, homemaker. With the endless ...

~ Vintage Lace ~ Of many Arts, one surpasses all. For the maiden seated at her work flashes the smooth balls and thousand threads into the circle, ... and from this, her amusement, makes as much profit as a man earns by the sweat of his brow, and no maiden ever complains, at even, of the length of the day. The issue is a fine web, which feeds the pride of the whole globe; which surrounds with its fine border cloaks and tuckers, and shows grandly round the throats and hands of Kings.  J acob van Eyck, 1651 I love lace and love wearing it on my clothes. Its feminine and beautiful and for that reason alone, women have been wearing it through the centuries.   Essentially, there exist two kinds of lace: needlepoint lace and bobbin lace. Needlepoint lace is made with a single-thread technique using embroidery stitches while bobbin lace, developed after needlepoint lace, was made with a variety of multiple-thread weaving techniques. The first known lacemaking p...

I don't think I need to remind any of you that "50 Shades of Grey" (book and movie) should be avoided . . . completely.  It is pornography and as Christian women, we must stay away from this sort of literature. But what disturbs me even more is the fact that millions of women around the world love this book (over 100 million copies have been sold in 50 languages) and they find it erotic and exciting (many say it has improved their sex life no end), when the truth is . . .  it glamorises sexual violence and tells men it is ok to dominate women in an abusive manner.   “While millions of women are fantasizing about the controlling and abusive Christian Grey of fiction, there are many other women dealing with the horrors of actually living with men like him.”  (source:  Bible Society ) Australia, like the USA and other countries around the world have a major problem with domestic violence. Some men think it is perfectly acceptable to emotionally,...

Art Friday: All things pink I like pink  - its such a pretty feminine colour.  I'm not alone with my love of pink, millions of little girls around the world love pink also, however, sadly, the feminist movement frowns upon girls if they are "too pink". I do wear pink, but it tends to be the deep strong pink rather than the pale soft pink that a baby might wear.  Are you a pink kind of girl?  Here is a bit of fun with PINK!! Fairies in art are often painted pink, perhaps to make them look delicate. Chinese art often contains pink flowers.  Monet John William Waterhouse (above and below) often added pink to his paintings painting by Igor Levashov by Meg Park As for a pink house, probably not!! Susan Rios is quite the fan of pink and incorporates it into many of her paintings.  *****