Goodthoughts

Some Questions for Angels

2010-01-05T19:30:54-05:00

Chuck and I started talking about angels a few weeks ago. For some reason, neither of us can remember exactly what got us started. It seems that I asked him a question about angels and he started googling on his laptop and we were off and running!

Several years ago, I wrote in my journal that I wanted to paint pictures of the unseen world. I had no idea how I was going to do that at the time. Or even what I meant by it. But after Christmas, I felt compelled to try my hand at angels.

My bluebird paintings usually have an angel somewhere in them, but I think I'm at a different place now...where the angels are going to be center stage.

This painting is a cropped version of a digital painting I've been working on since Christmas. It's about the story of Jacob's ladder in the Bible with a little twist...at least in the staircase! I have a lot more work to do on it, but thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Here's a little late night journal entry from Sunday while pondering my guardian angels.

I've been reading angel stories today. It makes me wonder about my guardian angels. Like where are they while I'm writing this...looking over my shoulder?...smiling at each other?...hovering above me near the ceiling?...or sitting beside me on the bed?

If I talk to them would they feel better? Have I been ignoring them my entire life after all they've done for me? Should I ask questions or their opinion about things? Should I ask them to come enjoy the sunset or watch the clouds shifting in the wind?

Should I talk to them like I talk to God? Should I ask them for ideas for paintings or for directions when there is a fork in the road?

Would they like to discuss ideas for the garden? I think angels like gardens. It probably made them sad to guard the Garden of Eden from Adam and Eve.

Maybe my guardian angels sit outside in the garden when things are slow here with me. Maybe they're the ones calling me out to play on the first warm day of spring...and every day after that!

Maybe they like the garden for the same reason I do...there is so much to remind them of God there. The color. The beauty. The mystery and magic of life.

Chuck is preaching a series of sermons on angels. You can read the first one, Entertaining Angels: Who are Angels and Why Do We Need Them? at chuckwarnock.com

The best Christmas carol

2009-12-24T11:32:34-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Does Jesus have a favorite Christmas carol? Could it be "Silent Night?' Maybe "Away in a Manger?" Or how about "O, Holy Night?" These are all beautiful, but I don't think they are the best.

Over 2,000 years ago the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary with God's great surprise. She would have a son and call his name Jesus.

But Mary was scared...she had questions...concerns. How was such a thing even possible?

Gabriel's answer was "Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."

I believe the best carol ever sung...better than the Magnificat which Mary sang a few days later when she greeted Elizabeth...were Mary's final words to Gabriel :

"Yes, I see it all now:

I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.

Let it be with me

just as you say."

Luke 1:37-38 The Message

I think Mary's loving response is Jesus favorite Christmas carol. It may be the best carol any of us can sing. I'm reminded lately that life does not always go the way we planned. Our journey takes us through shadows as well as sunlight. We may have questions and concerns about why things happen.

But in the end, we too can joyfully embrace God's travel plans. And like Mary...we can sing to the Lord our version of the best Christmas carol ever sung...

"I get it, Lord! I'm all yours. Whatever you say...I'm in!"

Wishing each of you joy, love and peace this Christmas!--Debbie and Chuck

"Nana Banana" and the Falling Piano

2009-12-14T17:25:37-05:00

This is a true story. Well, more or less a true story. I first told it to our grandson, Wesley, when he was about 4. I called myself "Nana Banana" from the time Wesley was a baby because it always got me a big grin. He asked to hear it again last month after we had just finished Thanksgiving dinner. My mom, who is also in the story was also there. Wesley's 12 1/2 now.

When "Nana Banana" was a very little girl Santa brought her a blue baby grand piano for Christmas. It was about a foot long and stood on 3 very short legs. "Nana Banana" loved playing her little piano with the black and white keys that really worked...until one day when her Mama noticed a big nail sticking out the side.

Being a good Mama, who didn't want her little child to be cut by a rusty nail, she carried the little blue piano up the folding stairs to the attic. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months until one morning "Nana Banana" remembered her blue piano.

"Pl...eeeee....zzzzzz get my piano down from the attic!" begged "Nana Banana." "Pl....eeeeee......zzzzz, Mama!"

"Okay," said Mama, "but first I have to fix the rusty nail."

"Nana Banana" watched eagerly as Mama pulled down the folding stairs and climbed into the attic to retrieve the piano. "Nana Banana" stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her brown eyes big as saucers looked up in anticipation as Mama held the piano tightly with one hand and the stair rail with the other.

Just then Mama lost her grasp on the blue piano and she gasped in helpless horror at what was about to happen next. Fortunately, for "Nana Banana," that's the last thing she remembered. The blue piano tumbled quickly and quietly until it landed with a loud "kerthunk" on "Nana Banana"'s forehead...right between her eyes!! Blood gushed from the jagged cut on "Nana Banana" 's head! "Oh, no, I've killed her!" yelled Mama as she picked "Nana Banana" up and carried her to the bed.

A nurse lived next door and Mama called her for help. The neighbor ran over to check out the situation and declared that "Nana Banana" would indeed survive and would not need to go to the hospital for stitches. After a few minutes of resting on the bed with a cold washcloth, "Nana Banana" got up to smile and hug her relieved Mama and play a few songs on her little blue piano! THE END

Well, almost the end.

When I finished telling the story after our Thanksgiving dinner...my mom said quietly over her pecan pie, "Well, she wasn't exactly a nurse."

To which I replied, "Well, what was she then?"

"Well, she worked at a doctor's office." said Mama as she enjoyed her pie. Chuck and Wesley began to snicker quietly.

"So, exactly what did she do at the doctor's office," I asked.

"She was the receptionist...."

"The RECEPTIONIST?!! You based my medical help on the advice of the receptionist?"

"Well, she had a lot of experience with medical situations." Mama said as she chewed her last bite of pie and smiled.

By then we were all laughing hysterically.

No wonder "Nana Banana" is still sporting an inch long scar between her eyes to this very day!!

A day of goodthoughts

2009-11-20T21:45:39-05:00

I had a wonderful birthday today...with my favorite garden buddy, sweetheart and best friend, Chuck! We had great food, lots of conversation and the sun was shining...yaaaay! I talked on the phone with our daughters and my mom....and had birthday wishes from lots of friends! All is well. Thank you, God!

Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens.--James 1:17 Contemporary English Version

Visual storytelling

2009-10-22T16:16:41-04:00

I love stories...don't you? When it's all said and done...life is about stories. Stories shape our lives...they form our identity. Stories have the power to make us feel impoverished or empowered. They tell us where we came from and where we're going. They tell us who we are. We all need a story...a story of hope...of dreams...of joy...of making a difference in our world each day.

Art has power to shape our stories in ways that inspire and give us courage to walk along our God given path with joy and purpose...unafraid of the obstacles along the way. Why not tell those stories of our lives with pictures as well as words? Instead of having photos and family momentos in the back of a drawer somewhere...wouldn't it be better to arrange them into a visual story told from your hearts point of view? Which brings me to my collage...

I went back to Tennessee a few weeks ago to visit our daughter, Amy, son-in-law, Randy and grandson, Wesley. Amy and Randy have a farm in the rolling hills south of Nashville. They raise milk goats, chickens, ducks, cows and horses. I took some pictures on the way to the goat barn one sunny fall morning. The old abandoned farmhouse behind their vegetable garden looked stunning against the bright morning sun. The picture turned out so well, I wanted to use it as a centerpiece for a collage.

When Amy was about 6 years old, I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said, "A singer by day and a farmer by night!" Chuck and I thought that was so funny. We said, "Wouldn't it be better to be a farmer by day and a singer by night?" She stuck with her first choice.

Today, Amy sings every morning to her goats, Nannette, Georgette, Maisy, Polly and the new Billy Goat, Jean Paul. At dusk, she and Randy round up the chickens and put them in their coop. Singer by day...farmer by night. It seems to be working out!

The collage is just one thread of Amy's story...told from the heart.

Don't worry, Laurie, your story's next!!

My collage was inspired by a magazine I bought last week called Somerset Digital Studio. It had some great ideas for digital collage with understandable instructions. My collage was created in Photoshop CS3 and is made up of over 34 layers. I made several other versions but liked the above one best. But, one of the best things I learned was about a website...obsidiandawn.com which has tons of free brushes and patterns you can download to use with Photoshop or Elements. I could not have made this collage without the cool brushes and patterns from Obsidian Dawn. Thanks, Stephanie, for sharing your talent with the rest of us! Note to artists: If you work in Photoshop you owe it to yourself to check out Obsidian Dawn!! Here's just a sampling of some of the brushes I downloaded free!

God's GPS

2009-09-27T08:28:22-04:00

My husband, Chuck, got a BlackBerry for me after my old cell phone died. He absolutely loves his and wanted to share the joy of being connected to the world every waking moment with me! I'm learning to text and getting used to reading the news on my BlackBerry.

But, one of the coolest things on my new Blackberry is the GPS. I'm going to visit our daughter, Amy, later today. She lives over 500 miles away. I put in her address last night and each turn popped up on my screen...all the street names I couldn't remember...neatly spelled out for me. I don't have to worry about getting lost!

God can do that, too, you know. He doesn't need batteries. He's never obsolete...and he doesn't require a monthly fee for his services. But, he always knows where I am...and he always knows the best way to get to my destination...even when I don't.

There is one difference in God's version of GPS for you life. You only get directions...one turn at a time. And you do have to listen...and be willing to take the turn and keep walking until you come to the next fork in the road.

I was talking with my friend, Susan, yesterday. We've been friends since we were 5 years old. She said that she used to think that she could plan her life herself...sort of parallel to God's path. Then... she would invite God to join her on her path. But things never seemed to go right. Then one day she realized that life would be a lot easier if she joined God on the path he offered instead. Her life changed dramatically for the better after she did.

So, whether your life is stuck in traffic. Or you're moving through life swiftly, but notice that you keep ending up in the same spot...ask God to show you his road. God doesn't guarantee the road will always be smooth...but he does promise that he'll always be there to carry you over the bumpy places. Try God's GPS...it's a custom planned journey just for you...because you're an original...and you've got something special to do!

The yellow road of weeds

2009-09-08T14:51:47-04:00

I love it when it's sunny on my yellow road of dreams!

When the flowers bloom cheerily...and the only bugs in the garden are beneficial insects...when it rains twice a week so I don't have to drag the water hose all over the yard...when the humidity is low and the mosquitoes are few...when I'm full of energy and enjoy bouncing outside every morning to pull weeds when they're tiny...to prune and tend God's beautiful garden...and share jelly jars of flowers to brighten someone's day...that's perfect...it's ideal...but what if it doesn't happen like that!

What if my yellow road of dreams is full of weeds? Life is never perfect. But sometimes it seems that the yellow road has a lot more weeds than dreams! Our summer has been like that...distractions from our routine...viruses in early summer for Chuck and me...the death of Chuck's brother and the sadness that followed...people in our church family with serious illness, bronchitis that I'm just now getting over. I look around and see all the things that I usually do that haven't been done. It's easy to feel overwhelmed...when life slows me down...and the weeds keep growing. What's the best way to deal with it?

Count your blessings even if you're standing in a weed patch! I was actually standing in a weed patch when I took this picture!! Unfortunately, the weeds are growing all over our beautiful labyrinth in our backyard. The rock paths are hardly visible from under the weeds.

Life is like that. Difficulties and disappointment that come to all of us. Even when it's hard to see the path for the weeds...remember it's still there...and you're not alone on your journey. God is with each and every one of us, in spite of our circumstances.

A thankful heart is the secret. When we focus on being thankful for all the good things in our lives...our thinking shifts. We see things from God's perspective...a perspective of hope!

Imagine your dream...orderly and complete...then...calmly start pulling weeds!! Take your time...your on a journey...setting things right can be an enjoyable process if you focus on the solution instead of the problem. And you know what? Whether my weeds are on the labyrinth or in my head... it doesn't take nearly as much time to make things beautiful again as I thought it would. Keep your hopes alive...and you'll soon discover your dream again...right where it was all along!

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."-- Psalm 32:8 NLT

Creative play

2009-08-28T19:18:00-04:00

Today was a great day! I've been dragging all week with a tired, fever, headache, coughing sort of virus. I perked up enough today to feel like doing something again, so I thought I'd work on an unfinished watercolor painting. I decided to just play and see what happened.

This painting is about the ukulele band I want to start at our church...it's a little obsession of mine...a longtime dream I can't get out of my head! I can see it all happening as plain as day...a group of all ages...all musical abilities...talented...mediocre...and no sense of rhythm whatsoever (I fall in the last group) getting together to learn to play the ukulele. We'll play old silly songs that we sang as kids and old gospel tunes and whatever else we want to. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!!! More about that later...back to painting!

I'm painting in watercolors on a stretched canvas...mainly because I didn't have any watercolor paper and I wanted to see how the canvas accepted the watercolor pigment. It seems to work just fine. But I had quit before I finished and it's just been sitting around in my studio gathering dust. The neat thing about watercolors is that they come back alive and workable again with just a little water.

Here's how it looks so far. This is more suggestive and loose than most of my bluebird paintings. I added the girl with the ukulele looking up at the bird and the big triangle above it.

The triangles are symbols of the ways God guides us and intervenes in our lives. I love the way watercolor puddles and gets darker in certain spots. I raise the canvas up and let the puddles drip down the canvas all the way to the bottom. I like the way it looks. When all 4 triangles were done...they reminded me of giant flowers reaching for the sunshine.

The top triangle looks like it has a sideways heart in the center. I didn't try to paint that. I was painting a red triangle inside the yellow one and the watercolor was really wet and just sort of rolled around into that shape...so I left it.

I gave all the 3 ukulele players' shoes an ever so faint touch of red for their journey...you've just gotta have the red shoes!

Maybe it's finished...maybe not...we'll see how it feels after a few days. But just squeezing out the paint...playing and watching the colorful drips made me feel so much better...now... if we could just get our band organized... :-)

The yellow moth takes a ride

2009-08-25T15:13:10-04:00

One day last month when granddaughters Vivian and Maggie were visiting, we walked uptown to our new restaurant/ice cream shop called Chathamoocha.

It was a hot July day and Maggie, 5, walked proudly in the shade of her new pink Princess umbrella she had just chosen at the dollar store. Vivian, almost 9, being older and wiser decided to leave her giant bubble wand on our front porch.

Right before we got there...Vivian who loves all creatures great and small...saw a giant yellow moth lying on the pavement behind a parked car. She bent down and gently picked it up...the moth was really beautiful but obviously in some physical distress. We decided maybe he ran into the car as it was parking.

Vivian and Maggie naturally wanted to take him with us and nurse him back to health! But since the taste of ice cream was dancing in their future...we put him back down where no one would be likely to hurt him while we ate. They loved the strawberry and birthday cake ice cream as much as their cousin, Wesley, had the week before!

Our yellow moth friend was still waiting for us when we started back home. To our surprise, he crawled from Vivian's hands to her t-shirt and hung on for the ride to Nana's front yard! About that time...Maggie realized there was only one moth and her pink princess umbrella seemed to lose its charm! So, with some compromises and a few shed tears we finally all arrive back home...safe...and smiling!

The moth seemed very happy to sit on their hands and shirts...I guess he knew he was among friends! After a few minutes of picture taking, we knew it was time to let him rest in the shady flower garden under the dogwood tree.

Vivian was gracious enough to give Maggie the privilege of setting the yellow moth in his new home! We watched as Maggie gingerly placed him on a short pink zinnia...he seemed content.

We checked on him everynow and then until we had to leave the next day to take the girls back home. He may have recovered from his injuries...I hope so.

But, I'm wondering if he's the one who ate all the petals off

the yellow heliopsis in my front fence garden a few days later!

But no matter...even if he did. I'll happily trade the heliopsis petals for a chance to see... two tender-hearted girls come to the rescue...of a big, yellow moth...who needed a little help from his friends!

Sweet Frankie's Cabin of Dreams

2009-08-20T12:46:49-04:00

Hold on to your dreams...because they just might come true! My friend Charlotte knows that from first hand experience.

Charlotte is a kind, gentle person who loves her family and the simple things of life. She's a lot like her mother...Sweet Frankie...who grew up on the farm in a little cabin...very rich in love.

Charlotte's dream has been to someday have a little log cabin of her own to relax and enjoy the quietness of the country. Her husband, Jerry built a small room onto the back of their house and put in some ceiling beams and a woodstove to give it the feeling of a log cabin. But Charlotte still dreamed of her cabin in the country to remind her of Sweet Frankie.

Last week Charlotte called and said, "I have my little cabin!" I was so happy for her! Her daughter, Cheryl had recently married and moved to a beautiful old home in the country with her husband. The farm has several outbuildings and it turned out that one of them was a little log cabin that had been covered in wood siding many years ago. They asked Charlotte if she would like to have the little cabin as her getaway from the world place....and that's how Charlotte saw her dream come true!

Since then, Charlotte and Jerry have been painting, washing windows, and turning an old vacant log cabin into Sweet Frankie's cabin of dreams. Charlotte loves antiques and brought some of her collection to the cabin. It's all finished now except for planting flowers outside.

Yesterday, she invited me to go on a picnic at the cabin. It was like being transported to another century. It was a hot, humid day at my house in town so I dressed to stay cool but wondered if we might spend the day sweating and swatting mosquitoes. I wasn't prepared for the wonders of the entire day!

The first thing I noticed when we got to the farm, which is way out in the country, was the temperature under the tall, tall walnut trees was at least 10 degrees cooler than it was at my house. There was a breeze blowing...no humidity that I could feel...and no mosquitoes!! But the best part was inside...

It was like stepping back to a simpler, quieter century! Charlotte and Jerry had painted the old beadboard walls a sparkling white and decorated the cabin with treasures from the past. The well insulated log and wood walls kept it cool inside. The large windows with their original wavy glass stood wide open letting in the breeze and the sound of the jar flies singing in the walnut trees. Only 1 car drove down the gravel road the whole time we were there. You couldn't help but relax and be thankful!

Charlotte had prepared lunch...delicious hoagie sandwiches and chips in little tin buckets that she had painted and decoupaged for her 3 girls when they were young. Her ice cold homemade lemonade was already there waiting for us. I must have had 6 glasses...it was so good!! Dessert was chocolate brownies with rich chocolate fudge icing. Yum! But the best thing was the care and love that goes into everything Charlotte touches!

Charlotte's also an excellent writer. She has a notebook filled with wonderful stories about her mom, Sweet Frankie, growing up on the farm. Her writing reminds me of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her "Little House" books. After lunch, Charlotte sat in her rocking chair and read several stories aloud to her youngest daughter, Jeri Leigh and me. They were stories she wrote for her grandson, Mark, when he was younger about the nighttime antics of the scarecrow in their backyard garden. With the help of a friendly fairy, the scarecrow was able to hop down from his pole and run around all over the neighborhood after everybody else had gone to bed! It was a treat to be read to...like listening to ocean waves...relaxing and soothing.

This picture of Charlotte and her mom, Sweet Frankie, now sits on the mantle in the cabin. It's a dear, tender picture of a young mother with her baby close to her face. A rich legacy of love...passed from mother to child. Charlotte continues to generously share her legacy of love and simplicity with everyone who's fortunate enough to know her.

Thank you, Charlotte, for the loving memories of yesterday at Sweet Frankie's Cabin of Dreams!