Week 4: Lesson 2: 30 Things

"I went skydiving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"
And he said
"Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying"

-Tim McGraw

When the song "Live Like You Were Dying" came out a few years ago I immediatly ran out and bought the single. I swear I listened to it over and over again until I knew every word by heart. With each word I would think of my sweet Daddy who was taken much too soon by Leukemia. As I write this I am listening to this beautiful song once again and thinking about my life...wanting to make such a beautiful impact on my world in 2016. So many Big Dreams for myself this year.

I am IN LOVE with my Word this year....

CONNECT

to join, link, or fasten together; unite or bind: Informal. to relate to or be in harmony with another person, one'swork, etc.

I want to CONNECT myself to my HEART (and we are working on that through this challenge)....my BODY...my GOD.  I look forward to making CONNECTions with many of YOU through our Mind.Body.Soul FaceBook group. 

Today's Lesson

I want you to think about your life...all of it. From the time you were a little girl to now. What have you accomplished? Where have you been? Where do you want to go next? 

Remember in the movie The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson when they are both dying of cancer and they decide to start making out a Bucket List? I LOVE that movie!! And I bet YOU have thought about your OWN Bucket List, right? 

Take the next few days and answer this question...

If you had 6 months to live...what would be on your Bucket List?

Here are a few things on mine...

Take my family to Normandy France to see Omaha Beach
Throw a huge outdoor party for friends and family
Emma and I go on an art retreat
Take Jacks to the Harry Potter Theme Park 
Write down as many memories as possible

There are 30 in all.
And that's how many things I want YOU to write down, too.

Like tomorrow was a gift
And you've got eternity
To think about
What you'd do with it
What could you do with it
What did I do with it?
What would I do with it?

-Tim McGraw

Week 4-Lesson 1: What's Your Word?

“The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.” 
― Arnold Bennett

I absolutely LOVE new beginnings. Mondays, the start of a new month...there is something about a FRESH start that fires me up. And this Friday is the beginning of a whole new YEAR! And not just any year, mind you. 

I

turn

FIFTY

in

2016!!

So I MUST do something BIG, right? Follow my Heart! Reach my Goals! Live like there is no tomorrow!

For the past ten years or so I have chosen ONE WORD to act as my Guide throughout the year...a compass to keep me on track and remind me of where I want to go. Some of my past have Words have been...

Possibilities

Reinvent

Story

True

Move

My Word last year was COMMIT. My intention with that Word was to actually STAY committed to my weight loss goals, art goals and house goals. What ended up happening was unexpected but in the very best way possible!! Even though my weight is still on (ugh, I have gained, too) and my house isn't anywhere NEAR organized (although I DID clear out quite a bit) and I never got around to sending in that album I created for Somerset Studios (THIS YEAR!) what I DID Commit to and STICK with was finding the very best place for my girl. Anasazi proved to be the guiding force in our life that has healed us and made us whole again. My girl has PEACE in her Heart and plans for an outstanding future!!

My Word for 2016

This year I thought long and hard about my Word and was CERTAIN I had it picked out! The Word JOY kept coming up...actually it has come up throughout 2015 and has become my secondary Word this year!! I have tried to implement JOY in my Heart daily (not always succeeding!) so I thought I would just extend JOY into 2016. 

But

then

as 

ALWAYS

happens...

I decided to brainstorm Word ideas cause the more I thought about JOY the more I wanted to be SURE. I take this One Word thing VERY seriously! So I created a list of Words...

Consistent

Heart

Receive (I ALMOST chose this one)

Joy

Alive

Connected

Awake

Present

Open

Perservere

And then it HIT me!!

What do I want this year?

More friendships

Closer to my husband

Really listening to my Heart when it comes to my Art

Closer to my Mama

More writing

Etc....

I want CONNECTIONS...

to my Heart

my Art

Friends

Dave

Mama

My Word for 2016 is 

CONNECT

I have let that sit with me for a week now and the more I think about it the more excited I get!!

YOUR Challenge this week

If you haven't all ready...take out your journals and start listing Words that resonate with you. Think about what you want MORE of. Go back to your collages from a few weeks ago and LOOK at what you gathered on your page...here was mine again...

By the end of the week try to have your 2016 Word picked out and ready to create with!! 

And remember to join me here Thursday for our second Challenge of the week. 

Thanks for being here girls!!!

Living Authentically-Journey to the Heart

The most exhausting thing you can do is to be inauthentic.  -Anne Morrow Lindbergh

My Life Lately

The closer we get to Christmas the crazier my life is becoming. The world is spinning and spinning and me right along with it. Between my kid's oral surgeries a few weeks ago, a bout of strep, a specialist visit for my daughter (she has serious tummy issues), an unplanned trip to St. Louis (in like an hour), another surgery this Tuesday (very minor but still)...good grief there is NO time for anything. Oh and THEN on the 23rd we leave for Omaha for two days then back by Christmas to spend with my Mama. The 27th is my son's 21st Birthday then he is BEST MAN is his BEST FRIENDS wedding January 2nd...and of course we are going to that, too and it's several hours away.

WHEW!!!! I am worn out just thinking about it all.

But you know what is keeping me sane in all of it? My family. My art. My Savior Jesus Christ. I am so blessed and GRATEFUL for living my life!!! Thought I would share a few projects I have been enjoying in between our hectic lives...

I started keeping a planner last summer and LOVE it!! I have ALWAYS had a planner and loved it but had not jumped into the planner craze until I found this Happy Planner from Me and My Big Ideas. It's a weekly ritual and one I look forward to!! I use my planner mostly for memory keeping.

In October my family gave me a Bible Journal and after being scared half out of my wits to try it I finally got around to it!! This is my second page...

What Bible Journaling does for me is allows me to take a COMPLETE quiet break from the crazies and just submerse myself in His Word. I LOVE it and look forward to this time with the Lord in 2016.

My studio is a MESS...

...and this is just one small part of it. You do NOT want to see the rest of it...lol. Stuff is everywhere!!! But I am creating and that's what is important!! Making time for ART is time well spent, girls!!!! Just get in your studios, on the kitchen tables, in your bedrooms...wherever you create and do it!!!:)

Today's Challenge

So today I want you to take all those words and quotes and whatever else you may have found while looking at magazines and books and put them into an ABUNDANCE COLLAGE. What do you want MORE of in YOUR life? What good, amazing, beautiful things do you want to FILL up your Heart with??

I love my collage!! Especially the picture of the younger woman with the older woman. It reminds me of the ME I want to ALWAYS be and the ME I could turn into (or DO turn into) when I am not living Authentically and listening to my Heart.

Girls...I wanted to share the rest of the Path of Water with you but time has gotten away from me. I need to shower then we leave for St. Louis. It's a 6 hour trip one way and we are making it QUICK. Coming back later tonight!!

You ALL are so important to me!! THANK YOU for being here!!

Journey to the Heart:Week Three-Path of Water

"There was no abundance in my Soul because my well had run dry." -Good Buffalo Eagle, The Seven Paths





Girls, my Heart is so FULL seeing all of you participating and sharing your journeys with me!!! THANK YOU so very much!!!

Week Three is here!

This week we are on the Path of Water. What in the heck does water have to do with our hearts?? PLENTY:) The following is an excerpt from The Seven Paths...

"Think about water for a moment. Have you ever considered all it does for us? I have learned to walk near water, for beside it the earth springs forth to provide shade and refreshment. I bathe in water, for it cleanses and invigorates the skin. When traveling in dry places, I pack up water to take on my journey. I have learned from dry journeys that deserts can be weathered only by those who are sustained by deep waters. I know the feeling of walking too long without water. I have felt the thirsty fingers of death constricting around my soul. As is common with so much in life, I failed to understand how much I needed water until I was without it."

Think to a time when you were so happy and on top of the world you thought NOTHING could bring you down. There were no worries, no stress, no real struggles that were placed on your Heart. Life was goooooodddddd.

Until it wasn't.

Bills needed to be paid, there was an illness in the family, a death, a lost job, a messy house to clean, children to take care of, an accident, a loss of friendship....whatever the stress was...it weighed so heavy on your Heart. And life was HARD. So hard and unfair. Your thirst for happiness was undeniable but it seemed out of reach. There was a real drought in your Heart. 

That's exactly where I was for years. My Heart was crying out for something to change it...I knew it had become so parched I was scared it was just withering away...and just like the quote I started this post out with...my well had run dry.

Today's Challenge

Our Challenge today is quite fun and relaxing and will continue to help us with our projects in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy it!

I want you to get cozy in your bed, the couch, your studio...wherever you feel comfy and start flipping through magazines, old books, junk mail, etc and find WORDS and phrases that speak to you and cut them out. These are just a small sample of words I have found in various places. 

99% of the time I don't know how or where I am going to use them...I just know they speak to me and make me think. Many times they motivate and inspire me. 

As you search for these words and phrases I want you to let your mind wander. Think about what's causing a drought in your Soul. What do you need MORE of?

Why not create your own words and phrases for your projects? This is so simple and costs pennies!

These are Word sheets I created on my MAC using words that inspire and touch my Heart. 

I keep word sheets on hand all the time!

Be sure and use various fonts and sizes when making your sheets...so FUN!

I use a gallon size Zip-loc bag to keep my cut-out words in...it's so inspiring when you have a full bag to sift through when working on projects!! 

Girls, I LOVE that you are here!! Join me Thursday for our next Challenge and find out how Water is not only for refreshing our bodies but healing our Hearts.

Letting Go (Week 2, Lesson 4)

"One way or another we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life and dedicate ourselves to that."  -Joseph Campbell


It's Week Two of our "Journey to the Heart" Challenge. It warms MY Heart to see so many of you sharing in our FB community!! I want to shay THANK YOU for watching my first video...not sure it was the best way to present Monday's Challenge...but I enjoyed sharing it with you!! Thanks for the feedback, too.:)

In case you didn't want to take 23 minutes to watch it (it's ok if you didn't) I am sharing photos of my Truth Cards and Beautiful Moment Cards...

An example of a Truth Card...remember this is just a simple 4x6 index card cut in half and decorated.

TRUTH CARDS

Another one only this time using a manila tag from Ranger...

BEAUTIFUL MOMENT CARDS

My Beautiful Moment Cards are all on Project Life Cards...you can purchase a pack of 50 for less than 5 bucks at most craft stores.

Here is the back of one of my cards...

And now the front...using alphabet stamps...

And now using my own handwriting...

More decorated Beautiful Moment Cards...

ANGER IS A WHAT?

If you take a good long look at what's in your heart and try to assess why it's so hard to hear it (because let's face it...many times it's EXTREMELY hard to hear anything good coming from it) I am going to say it's because you are holding on so tight to anger and bitterness. And when we REALLY stop to think about anger and bitterness...it's truly just a secondary emotion. 

Yep.

You heard me...

ANGER IS A SECONDARY EMOTION.

I truly understood this just a few short months ago from our amazing Shadow (counselor) from Anasazi...Sulay. Did I say she was AMAZING? Oh my I could write a whole, big, long blog post about her!!

Anyways...Sulay was the one who introduced me to this idea of anger being a secondary emotion. Think back to a time when you were MAD. Now forget the anger and start listing what you were TRULY feeling...Let me give you an example...

For years I had been so angry at a loved one in my life for their poor (possibly dangerous) behavior. When I truly began looking at my anger towards this person and started listing what I was feeling besides anger it looked like this...

*fear

*resentment

*disappointment

*tired

*embarrassed

*hopeless

*drained

*worried

And ALL those feelings...those were just things I DIDN'T want to feel so I just felt ANGER...it was easier to express that. I mean who honestly wants to feel hopeless? For me that meant long bouts of crying and I didn't want that. I HID behind my ANGER. Which, in turn, hardened my Heart so I couldn't hear it anymore. I didn't want to. Hearing meant feeling.

It's time to recognize that anger in your hearts...see it for what it REALLY is and start letting go....

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Create an art journal page about Letting Go of your anger...your fears...all the stuff that's holding you back from HEARING YOUR HEART. Make a list, write a journal entry...get it ALL out so you can MOVE FORWARD!!

Please share your work in our FB group if you can!! 

Journey to the Heart: Lesson Three-Truth Cards & More

So I tried something new today...I created a video. Oh boy...it's long and I apologize...lots to learn but I truly wanted to share in another way:)

Click here for the video (it's in my FB group!!)

Journey to the Heart Lesson Two: What I Like About Me

"Begin where you are..work where you are...the hour which you are now wasting, dreaming of some far off success may be crowded with grand possibilities."  -Orison Swett Marden


I have so LOVED seeing all your art work this week with our first challenge!! Each of you has had a unique spin on the challenge and I am so inspired!!

More of the Story

As my life continued to get messier, the challenges bearing down hard on me...I withdrew not only from my family and friends but myself. I ceased seeing anything good in myself. Whatever Light I had...was gone.

In my last post I shared the following from Anasazi... 

"We who lose the light within have lost our way....Does YOUR Heart Walk FORWARD in the Light?"

I had lost my way. And friends let me tell you...as I am sure most of you have experienced or are in the midst of experiencing right now...once we lose our way...it's nearly impossible to see the Light...agreed?

Think back to a time sweet girls when your Soul felt Light. During those dark years I would go back to the moment my children were born...the day I married my sweet husband or Holiday memories from my childhood. I had to be reminded of what Light even looked like!

"As great as is the Light above us, greater by far is the Light within. The outward Light is but a reflection of the inner." -The Seven Paths

Today's Challenge

Grab a piece of paper and start listing 50 things you LOVE about YOU. 

Yes I said 50.

I know that may seem like too much. After all if you are right in the middle of darkness...it's so very hard to see the Light. But believe me as you start thinking about what you really LOVE about yourself and WRITE THEM DOWN...more will come. The longer your list goes...the more Light will be let in.

After you have your list (if you write down more than 50...use them, too!! You ROCK!!) take out your art journal and begin creating a page with your list. Here is my page...

In my typical fashion I had to use a girl that represents me...I chose a hippie girl from Woodstock:). Instead of journaling directly on the page I took 5 journal cards and randomly added my "Likes".

Some of the things on my list include...

My eyes
Optimistic
I admit when I 'm wrong
I love to decorate to make my home cozy
I give good hugs
Always choose JOY
My love of all things retro

“When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.” 
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being