feel the fear...face it with faith!

traffic

i think i once heard about a book or a mantra 

along the lines of  'feel the fear and do it anyway..' 

i always thought to myself, if only i could have such courage !

i realized first hand, when i was put to the test 

 what i was really 'made of'...

the other day i made my 

way home 

from work 

taking a new route. 

i had to cross a few intersections

that i hadn't crossed for quite a time. 

fear held my entire body hostage.  

i couldn't find air...

i had spent countless hours 

training to hear the sounds 

and echoes of the street.

my mind confused 

and feeling a bit betrayed 

i ended up retreating to a certainty.

i cried. cried from the gut. 

pissed. angry. 

embarrassed. 

i then had to go in for the ask.  

some times when we ask, 

God shows His skin to us ...

and humbles us along the way

so yes, 

feel the fear, 

then face it with faith and 

know that God will never leave you.

  'be strong and courageous. do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~deuteronomy 31:6

 

 

 

traffic: i painted this piece called traffic to help those who navigate the world with sight to understand what it is like not too.  i often get asked, what is it like to cross the highway/street etc.  how do you do it?  i listen to the sound of traffic going in the same direction as i am and cross with the sound of traffic.  i am really grateful when the intersection has an audible signal device installed. these are great and really help me to cross safely...!

 

this piece has many colors as 'back in my day' the cars were painted rich, bright colors...i guess i may be dating myself now (lol)  the background is dark and gooey to reflect the roadway and all the exhaust and pollution from the vehicles... 

no God, no peace, know God, know peace..

 

 

Lord ... is that you?

i remember when i painted this piece. i was really at odds with my faith.  

i was seeking answers that i just couldn't seem to find.  i wanted to know God as a friend. 
i wanted a relationship with him that was meaningful 
and real and not fake.  i didn't want to recite 
made up or worst yet- memorized prayers from my childhood.

my understanding of who He was and what He meant to me seemed to be buried under a whole lot of crap, worries and superficial social agenda's that had nothing to do with growing my spiritual life. 

it wasn't until i scraped away the layers that i found what i was really looking for.   

my cross...all tattered and scratched from my past regrets.  dulled from sin, doubt, judgments and lies. i carried it with a distorted sort of pride, an impressive martyr no less.  

... He wouldn't allowed that... no, He was on the ready to take it from me and place it on His back.  

in that moment i knew i had found my God ..that He had never left my side.

so i will pass along what someone had once shared with me...

no God, no peace...know God, know peace...

always believe that God is with you...seek His divine inspiration

pray for wisdom and strength, trust that whatever is in front of you...challenging you will serve His purpose. believe He has a plan for you ...i used to have a friend read to me jeremiah 29:11 every day...now it is etched on my heart:

"for I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future." 

the feeling remains that God is on the journey, too.  ~teresa of avila

"ask and it will be given to you; 

seek and you will find; 

knock and the door will be opened to you.

matthew 7:7

prayer is when you talk to God; 

meditation is when you listen to God.  diana robinson

unconditional love

you see me

you really see me

you have witnessed me react outside my best behavior

 you have seen me without my makeup on

you know my flaws

and yet, you love me still

i see you

i wake with crazy hair

and you laugh with me

i have a hard day 

and you dish me up 

a huge bowl of ice-cream

or bring me a 'special treat'~

you ask me if anything is wrong

i say no

do you believe me?

no...

you ask me into your cage

and give me the hug that i needed 

for the greater part of the day

the best part of you loving me

is that you see

me like no one

else sees me

you see me warts and all

and still love me for me

"love… what is love? 
love is to love someone 

for who they are, 
who they were, 

and who they will be." 
~chris moore

 

'keep your dreams alive...remember, all things are possible for those who believe."

-gail devers

this day i know l-o-v-e

mad blossom

yes, i am a 

mad creative

but blessed beyond 

my imagination...

i am loved

and 

i know love

like i have never known 

love before

i know joy 

and 

i am at peace

and have never known 

c o n t e n t m e n t

as i do in this moment

i am grateful beyond measure....

john 15:9-17  

as the Father has loved me, so have i loved you. abide in my love.  if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as i have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. these things i have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

“this is my commandment, that you love one another as i have loved you. greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. you are my friends if you do what i command you. no longer do i call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but i have called you friends, for all that i have heard from my Father i have made known to you. 

you did not choose me, but i chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. these things i command you, so that you will love one another.

"God loves you just the way you are, 

but He refuses to leave you that way. 

he wants you to be just like Jesus."

~max lucado

take a breath

breathe

yes, i'm revisiting this theme and 

just in time for the new year...

breathing is important

taking the time to relax,

sit back and chill is so under-rated

sucking air is probably the single most important

new year's resolutions i can think of

if i do nothing else in the coming year

but constantly remind myself to

stop                

and 

                        breathe       

2012 

will be a 

v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y

g o o d

year 
 

"but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." 

 ~isaiah 40:31

the reason for the season...

...ask me, i would give you living water -Jesus

a number of years ago i went on a mission trip to honduras. 

the village was miles and miles in the middle of no where...what i would consider the end of the earth. the young women would have to travel for hours every day to collect water that could be used for cooking and drinking. 

our team's main goal was to build a gravity-fed water system and to share the hope of Christ. 

i thought i was going to change the lives of those who had less than i did, but it turned out that the souls i encountered fed me and filled the empty spiritual void i had been carrying around.

the way

i was humbled by the grace, strength and  faith of those living in the village.  they had absolutely nothing as far as worldly possessions, but all their trust was demonstrated in the way the lived.  i loved how they came together at the close of each work day to worship.

their prayers were big and real and honest. 

if you are looking for a way to give

in a big, real and honest way

consider a donation to Aqua Viva. 

100% of your gift is given directly to the poor...

the cross  painting i did upon my return. it is called: the way. 

in the village near the school there was this really cool  cross that had raised letters and symbols on it.  i just had to feel it and keep that sensation etched onto fingertips and embedded in mind.  the colorful back drop was described to me in great detail. i remember the warmth and energy from the ground as i stood in front of the cross.  the power was overwhelming and undeniable.

when i returned home i immediately grabbed a canvas. the image made itself realized.

 

i offered to teach an art class to the kids in the village who interested...

 the photo is of a boy named, samuel who traced 

my fingers over his drawing and described in detail his work.  

i was told he was quite talented.  

drawing lessons in las chilcas de san ramon

he shared with me that he wanted to be an artist one day.

   many of the kids copied what samuel drew.  

he had an inventive and colorful imagination!  

 

you can change the life of a child like samuel, 

his friends and those of neighboring villages who 

have yet to have access to clean water and/or

the Truth, the hope of Christ Jesus.

consider sending a donation to:

Agua Viva

23955 Beard Ave

Lakeville MN 55044

have a blessed and merry christmas

view: http://www.aguavivaonline.org/what-can-i-do.html

all contributions are fully tax deductible and 

many employers match charitable contributions 

more than 3,500,000 people die from a water related illness every year...every 15 seconds a child dies from a water related disease 

  

 

video available: http://www.aguavivaonline.org/communities-served/las-chilcas-de-san-ramon.html#/images/stories/5_8_LCdSR/avlcdsr1.jpg

happy wishes for momma bear...

peace

i remember when i was young my mom used to tell me to be nice to 'those kids'...you know,  the kids who seem to get ignored or teased for some reason.  there were always some kids who seemed to get picked on and no one wanted to sit with them at lunch or wanted them on their kick ball team... you remember 'those kids.' 

love

she also reminded me to say hello to the bus driver, thank the lunch lady and smile at the crossing guard.  yeah, i did all these things.  it was embarrassing at times...i mean, i would actually sneak an apple to the kid who no one would sit with...

happiness

admittedly, i had to say hi to the bus drivers because sometimes she would 'just know' if i didn't ... years later, when i least expected to run into anyone from my days of elementary, i bumped into a gal who was picked on relentlessly...even as a kid i remember how i would never want to be her.  the teasing was mean and she was targeted non-stop.  after asking me how i was, what i was up to, i knew who she was right away, she had grown to be a very pretty woman, but time had worn a bit on her.  she hugged me and thanked me for being so sweet to her all 'those years' when everyone else had been so mean. 

she shared that my 'hello' often made such a difference in many of her days. she would think of me as a friend.

in that moment, i thought of my mom and was never more thankful to her...she taught me one of the most important lessons i continue to learn.  give simply of yourself.  what a difference this has made. 

today my mom celebrates her 76th birthday and her wish is only that we all continue to share peace, love and happiness with one another... 

happy birthday mom!

life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.

you complete me...

what we are is God's gift to us...

what we become is our gift to God. ~powell

i once thought i could do it all on my own
all by myself
that i needed no one
i needed nothing

i held my head high,
thinking i was strong
 independent
i was accomplished

but then i realized
i am nothing without you

i only am me
because of you

i need you

my faith sees me thru every day
every moment

it is God who makes me complete


"what we are is God's gift to us.  

what we become is our gift to God."   

~eleanor powell

sweet nancy

phoebee

every one should be so blessed to have a friend like nancy
generous
kind
forgiving
gracious
sweet
thoughtful
i can't remember the how, the where, the when...these details of our friendship and the intersection of our stories...but i continue to be blessed by her example of how to live, to love, to give, to forgive, to stretch my heart, my mind....

she has learned much and she is more than willing to share with me of her joys, past hurts...the loves of her life. she is like a sister to me.  honest, but reassuring.

Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer. 

~Author Unknown

this, too, will pass

wings of wisdom

fire, ready, aim...

aagh...the frustration of picking up the pieces from my impulsive 

actions has worn me to the core.

i have since learned that nothing needs to be decided upon RIGHT NOW.

there is nothing wrong with hesitation.

pain seemed to torment me daily and i used to hatch daily escape plans...admittedly it would be in the drink of some sort or another.

now, i sit, as uncomfortable as that may be at times

and wait

and wait

and pray

and possibly pray some more

one day at a time 

knowing that 

this, too, will pass

feelings are not my enemy

i am not alone

i am much stronger than i had realized

my story is not unique

i'm not special

(((((smile~sigh)))))

my faith will see me thru, this i am certain

'faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding on to'

Art Madness!

princess zoe

You Are Invited! 
ART MADNESS...
 

Saturday, November 5, 2011
7-11 pm
 

The barn at Spirit of Brandtjen Farms
16965 Brandtjen Farm Drive
Lakeville MN 55044

Featuring over 200 original, one of a kind artwork, treasures,
cultural events and gift certificates to local restaurants.
All art pieces created by local art students, residents and professional artists.

Please bring 5 non-perishable items that will be used to build a sculpture 

during Art Madness and then donate to 360 Communities Foodshelf!
 

Tickets for the event, which will benefit 10 local schools, 

local grants and 

random acts of kindness 

can be purchased online at:
 

www.EVCF.org
 

$35.00 or $40.00 at door
 

Eastview Community Foundation
PO Box 240905
Apple Valley MN 55124

 

wcco link:  http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/11/01/artist-loses-her-sight-but-not-her-creative-vision

 

princess zoe will be donated to the silent auction to help in the fund raising efforts!

note cards and other annie young prints will also be donated as well~

ii believe

i am a believer
i keep telling myself that
i don't know if i say it to convince myself
or to remind myself

i haven't decided if it really matters,
i just know God is with me
 

 

what lies behind us and what lies before us are 

tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~emerson 

shredded and stretched...

you stretch me...

 many of us have experienced

the pain of

our hearts being

shredded

and stretched...

we pretend

we are fine

we act as if nothing has shaken us 

but in reality our core has shifted and our foundation has become weak.

...dear

we are lost for months...

not until the healing begins

do we realize the extent of the damage

when we surrender to our powerlessness

we become powerful

our lives become manageable

 peace begins to heal our scars...

Psalm: 51:10, 12

create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

art exhibit !!!!! sept 1st-30th

oh jenny~no need to worry!

annie young arts

september 

1st-30th
 extended thru til oct
30TH!!!

box art gallery

2nd floor

625 fourth ave s

mpls mn 55415

(thrivent financial bld)

b-r-e-a-t-h-e

i am exhibiting a wide variety 

of new pieces and techniques. 

it was a desire of mine to offer a space

for the mind to wander...

to dream...

to imagine possibilities.

  

nudge the heart with a memory 

 and the soul 

could leave refreshed. 

it was  exciting for me to create.

i was blessed in the process..

visiting artist: rita corrigan (rita is a friend who is an amazing artist...her body of work is entirely beyond words and i was so fortunate she said yes to me! 

you must come see!!!! ) 

www.mnartists.org/rita_corrigan

'many hands make light work' ~john heywood

special thanks to: cec, diane, dee, nancy, 

stacey and a really big thanks to rick!!!