My Art Philosophy

I have always enjoyed working with my hands to create crafts and various, elemental works of Art. The only one who can appreciate them is my Mom!!! There are occasions when my dear honey will like something I have created, or at least he says he does! Even though I enjoy giving many pieces away, in the form of cards or some sort of painting for wedding gifts, I don't see a lot of value in my Art. I know I am not alone in this.

However, probably 10-12 yrs ago, I heard a young man speak on the true value of creativity. I took his words to heart and tried to raise my then small girls to see true value in all that they did...writing poems, songs, drawing, whatever creative juices were flowing at various times in their life. What I didn't do, was take his words to heart for me. I still look at my 'art' as elemental. I can look back and see where I have grown and matured in my processes but I will never be Grandma Moses or Picasso. I can't ever see anyone paying $100 for a work of mine! And you know what, that is okay!!!

Well, in this season of creative slumber - Miss PD takes up so much of my time and my family gets 'the rest' - God has really been speaking this word back to me. So, I want to share with you, okay?


Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

We are created in His image, just like I am formed in the image of my parents! I have His DNA deep within me! So, what all do we know about God?

The Bible begins with the account of creation. Now, I am not like God in the fact that I could even begin to just make something out of nothing! I have to have tools...but, God is VERY creative!!! Have you been to the ocean? Have you walked through the forest? Have you seen some of the animals and creatures our God created?

HE IS VERY CREATIVE!!!

Have you read the God breathed scriptures...Psalms, Proverbs, Ruth, John?? Those were penned by men, but breathed by God Himself! His poetry resonates deep within our souls, His stories tug at our very hearts.

HE IS VERY CREATIVE!!!

Have you heard the music in the wind, or the water? Those were created by God, as well.

Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Workmanship suggest someone pored over raw materials and used tools to create something of value! We are His something of value! We have value within us...no matter what we do!

I want to say that I feel, according to the scriptures, we all are creative somehow! It doesn't have to be art, or music, or writing! Are you obsessed with organization? Can you look at a situation and see a better way to do things? These take creativity as well.

We watch a lot of football around here and sometimes hear the sportscasters say, "That last play was very creative!" It means that someone used a bit of their creativity to see things in a different way.

Do you feel like you march to the beat of a different drum? Maybe that is your creativity trying to unleash itself!!!

I encourage you, look around your life in the weeks ahead and really take time to see how your creative juices flow! Seek the Lord and see if this lines up with His word for your life.

I can't wait to get back to cutting, drawing, gluing and using my hands to be creative!!! If you wouldn't mind, I would love to see some of your creative work...photos, cards, drawings, writings, WHATEVER!!! Would you please upload them and share with me???

Praise God from whom all blessings flow....

God's girl, Pamela

What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent

A book review

Warning: This book made me cry....buckets!!! From the beginning, I found myself with tears in my eyes.

I have heard of the book, Same Kind of Different as Me, but not yet had a chance to read it. What Difference Do It Make? is a follow-up of sorts to that book. It is not just a non-fiction work, but rather a true 'story' of how many lives can be changed by one woman's obedience to God.

Ron Hall and Denver Moore have spent the last several years developing a very strong friendship based on their shared love of God and a very special lady, Ron's wife, Deborah. Deborah reached out to the homeless at the Union Gospel Mission in Ft. Worth, Tx and simply brought husband Ron along. Deborah passed away from cancer but Ron and Denver have continued their friendship, written a book and now speak about homeless issues to various audiences.

This book, What Difference Do It Make?, highlights ways that other people reached out in their own neighborhoods and home towns after reading Same Kind of Different as Me. The subtitle, Stories of Hope and Healing,is definitely fitting. The true stories show how one person may not be able to change the world, but they can change one person that can start a chain of giving hope to the masses.

I could not pick just one story to highlight....too many of them tugged at my heart! However, I love Ron Hall's Thirty-Day Plan to End Homelessness! Do I think I can do it, or convince my friends or church to do it? I don't know. So, why do I like it?

I like the idea of being able to reach out to those 'less fortunate' than us without being judgemental. I will be honest, in my Dallas suburb, I don't see many homeless, but I do see those 'less fortunate'. I desire to have the freedom to just give...not expecting anything in return. If I give money and they blow it on alcohol, drugs or clothes, it doesn't matter. The point is that I give and then it is no longer mine...because I gave it up.

I am walking away from this book with a new perspective on giving. The people that shared their stories simply gave without judgement, without expectation, other than waiting and watching what God would do with the gift. When I consider that I have nothing that has not been given by God, how can I not give of my life, my faith?

The book is written primarily to Christians, those that already know Christ. However, the principles shared in the book are needed in every walk of life; To simply give of ourselves. I highly recommend the book to anyone that feels the tug of God on their heart to give more, give deeper.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow....

God's girl, Pamela

On Being a Mom of Teenagers!

Oh, Lord, Ps 139:14.I praise you because my daughters are fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Pamela's paraphrase!)

My girls have such tender hearts. I will be honest right here and now....we have not always handled those tender hearts well. Lord, please forgive me.

Both girls struggle with relationships....one struggles with maintaining friendships, the other struggles with choosing friends (and lots of them!) over family, school and anything else!!! In one week, our whole family dynamic shifted ever so slightly...and it all started with relationship issues!

CD had a disagreement with a close friend, and really thought that would be the end of a close friendship. However, she never told us what was going on! That was on Sunday and you could just feel drama coming in the door!

Monday, I got a text from Bunny that one of her former acquaintances (from the group she hung out with last year) had killed himself over the weekend. I picked her up early from school and we planned to either visit the funeral home for the viewing or the funeral...neither happened.

On Wednesday of that week, CD had an ortho appt. that I was going to ask her to take herself. Daddy beat me to the punch....he asked if Miss PD and I would like to head out with him to a client visit that day. Miss PD has learned to say 'dog' and always wants to pet and kiss ours and his client has several dogs and hubs thought it would be neat to see how she reacted to different dogs. I loved the idea and said yes...it meant we got out of the house for a while.

That same Wednesday evening, the viewing was scheduled for the young man from Bunny's school and I was trying to work out in my head how we could do her home group and the funeral home in a timely manner as we were driving back to our side of town.

Once we were getting close to home, we got a phone call that parents dread...."Mom, I've had an accident."

CD was pulling out of the ortho office parking lot and saw a vehicle coming with it's right turn blinker on and thought they were turning into the parking lot....they didn't! She got hit in the driver's side front quarter panel, pushing the tire back about 10 inches! She also got bit by the airbag; her right hand and arm cut and her left arm a little burned.

Needless to say, plans for Bunny changed at that moment. Everyone's plans changed! I went to bed for the next week feeling so thankful for my daughters...that they were safe and sleeping soundly under the same roof as us! It was a very emotional week and I am glad it has passed!

God was so in control, though...of course!!! Our Windstar was 14 yrs old and they called it a total loss and gave us more for it than we imagined! Within a week, we were able to find a Plymouth Grand Voyager, two years newer but more miles. The good thing, we were able to buy it with the settlement from the accident.

Pics of the Windstar are on hubs phone and he is not home at the moment so I will try to get that later. The 'new' van:



We have all shed tears. We have all hugged one another tighter. We have grown as a family through this trial. I know it seems trivial, but this was one emotional trial that I don't want to go through again! We are so thankful for the many blessings of life!

Relationships? Well, CD worked things out with her friend and they are still growing in God together. Bunny still misses seeing his face around school. His death affected her in ways I'm not sure she thought it would. We've had to learn to lean into God through this time! Honestly, though, where else would we rather be?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow....

God's girl, Pamela