Float

 I read Watchman Nee's The Normal Christian Life last spring. He explains the relationship of sin and the Christian better than I have ever read or heard. 

"This deliverance (from sin) is so real that John can boldly write: 'Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin ... he cannot sin' (1 John 3:9), which is, however, a statement that, wrongly understood, may easily mislead us. By it John is not telling us that sin is now no longer in our history and that we shall not commit sin. He is saying that to sin is not the nature of that which is born of God. The life of Christ has been planted in us by new birth and its nature is not to commit sin. But there is a great difference between the nature and the history of a thing, and there is a great difference between the nature of the life within us and our history. To illustrate this (though the illustration is an inadequate one) we might say that wood 'cannot' sink, for it is not its nature to do so; but of course in history it will do so if a hand hold it under water. The history is a fact, just as sins in our history are historic facts; but the nature is a fact also, and so is the new nature that we have received in Christ. What is 'in Christ' cannot sin; what is in Adam can sin and will do so whenever Satan is given a chance to exert his power."

This painting is what came to mind upon reading that passage. 

"Float"

I sewed cloth onto the watercolor painting and hand embroidered her hair.

The Girl in the Lane Shop

We Went Camping

It was the best.

It was also rather exhausting in the best way possible. 

I came home feeling totally worn out but refreshed. 

Also, probably by no coincidence, I started reading Last Child in the Woods when I got back. I am not far into it but I do love it. It is about the new relationship between children and nature. It is an eye-opening read. If you are a parent or are thinking about being one some day, read it. Then go play outside.

It also starts each chapter with a quote. I personally love that in a book. 

There was a child went forth every day, 

And the first object he look'd upon, that object he became,

And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day,

Or for many years or stretching cycles of years.

The early lilacs became part of this child, 

And grass and white and red morning glories, and white and red clover,

and the song of the phoebe-bird,

And the Third-month lambs and the sow's pink-faint litter,

and the mare's foal and the cow's calf,...

-Walt Whitman

It was a fun little outdoors weekend but I need to get back to work. I am excited to be a part of Art Fair 562. It is soon and I have much to do to get ready.

The Girl in the Lane Shop

My Easter Post

    I had no idea what to write about for Easter. Here I am trying to be free and honest about my art, faith, and life and Easter totally stumped me. I haven't even been looking forward to Easter this year. No matter how much I tried, the plastic eggs and smiling bunnies were not the motivation I needed to fully celebrate the resurrection of my Savior. 

    I have been in a spiritual funk. It happens. The husband and I have been busy with boring grownup stuff which seems really important but actually isn't. I really want to do God's will with this and every situation. I have been trying to listen. It seemed like the more direction I wanted the more silence I felt. I wanted so badly to do God's will that I was starting to get scared about makingwrong decisions. I didn't even know what project to start next and was anxious about starting the wrong thing.

    With the help of Watchman Nee's The Normal Christian Life, the thought occurred to me that maybe there was something I was still holding on to and that is why I was hearing silence. Maybe there was still something I wasn't willing to let God handle so I wasn't getting the direction I was craving. This began my asking for more direction and the racking of my brain trying to figure out what the something was. I didn't know what to write on this blog so I was willing to never write on here again. Job, money, whatever, I was willing to hand it over to Him but the more I was willing to hand over the more I realized my motivation was out of fear of not doing His will instead of a desire to do His will. 

Fear is what I was holding on to. 

    God asks nothing of me. Jesus's death was enough to meet all requirements. All He wants is my willing heart. He knows I am going to mess up. He can handle it. Jesus didn't rise from the grave to give me a new life full of fear and burden. He gave me a life of freedom, hope, and love. If I bring Him my willing heart without worry, His will will be done. 

Spiritual funks happen. The important thing to remember is they bring growth. 

Happy Easter to all!

The Girl in the Lane shop

A few words to keep in mind this Valentine's Day.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Valentine’s Day. I love making silly cards for my husband and kids. I love all the cute decorations. I love love love that it involves chocolate. Valentine’s Day is a great day to do something fun for the people you love. I was going to share a cute last minute Valentine’s Day craft but I am pretty sure there are a billion and a half of those already on Pinterest. I decided to be a little more honest instead.

Heart dino foot.

For those of you who are single please see your current state as a great opportunity. I know it is hard to hear that from a married woman with kids but it’s true. My husband and children require my time and energy. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just where I am. When someone is single there are different opportunities available.

Pink and Green heart

You have opportunities to love. There are a lot of people who need love out there and I am not talking about dating sites full of people wanting romantic love. I mean a kid who needs a mentor, a coworker who needs a kind word, the homeless man who needs a new pair of socks.

You have opportunities to be loved. One of the most meaningful gifts I ever received on February 14th was one flower from a friend when I was single. Love from family and friends is much undervalued in our overly sexual culture. We, both single and taken, need to remember to think outside the romantic heart-shaped box when it comes to love. Love is bigger.

Loneliness is real and it hurts. I am sorry. When I am lonely, and yes married people even happily married people feel lonely from time to time, I talk to the one I know always loves me or I read his love letters. Maybe Valentine’s Day could be an opportunity for you to know God's love. His love is more than enough.

Alright if any of you not single types are still reading, you’re up. Valentine’s Day is many great things but Valentine’s Day is not the day to rush a relationship or pretend feelings that are not really there. It is not a day to judge where your whole relationship stands and it is not a day to decide what your commitment means. There are more divorces filed the week after Valentine’s Day than any other time of the year. This is a huge problem. There is obviously a great deal involved with this, more than just Valentine’s Day but there is a stupid amount of expectation tied into the day. I am pretty sure the pressure to be perfect at romance is most heavily felt by men but it is on both sides. More importantly when expectations are too high a couple as a whole can feel strain. I realize I am not in any sort of a position to give advice but I am going to anyway. Keep it fun and simple. Communicate what you actually want and expect from one another.

I write all of this because although I obviously like a cute craft with a heart involved, I like thriving marriages more. Here are two marriage helpers.

One Extraordinary Marriage Podcast

Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Detail from my latest almost finished project. I cannot wait to share it.

I did not realize I have made so many hearts.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Girl in the Lane Shop