Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:
1. The relationships that have grown over this year. (especially getting to know a new little person Audrey!)
2. My job .... okay sometimes I complain but it is a wonderful job ,and I work with some of the nicest people.
3. My relationship to God. He has given me new glimpses of himself ,and they are beautiful and still full of so much mystery.
I can truly say I love God for his wonderful personality.

more things I'm thankful for:
1.My Dog Meg
2.My Cat Lenny
3.My ugly white suburu

1. My trip to Swaziland
2. My new compassion child Iraci
3. My health

His Strenth
 Isaiah 41:10  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Where's the art?

Faye where is your heart? um I mean Art?
Well my heart hasn't really been in my art lately,but I got a sudden burst of creativity the other day. Now that I look at it what came about: a fanciful house, chairs in a forest and a colorful quilt. I must be wanting the comfort of two of my likes, outside and inside.

I started the chairs painting with only the trees I was going to attempt another tree picture . I was kinda sceptical as to the success of such a venture ,but I sketched on. Then I left the sketch for say a week ,and I found an article in a magazine with all these different chairs in a photo shoot. They were fascinating all these different shapes and colors....... I was inspired.

There used to be a fourth chair ,but he looked too much like an alien.

I love how the background flows , the colors dried so wonderfully random ! that is when watercolor is exciting!

And without knowing it I have carried the colors from my paintings into my quilt.
Color, color and more color.

Thoughts

It seems like I'm always thinking. Now more than ever.
Where is my life going?
what am I doing with it?

My life is beautiful , but only a glimpse of what beauty could be.
Something is missing ... something is lost.
Do others see this and just ignore it? I want them to know that there is more ,but I lack the words to describe it.
I lack the words all the time.
Is that part of the misery of this world ? we can never describe fully what we feel?

I'm reading the book "Epic : the story God is telling and the role that is Yours to Play" by John Eldridge.
I just picked it up at the library on a whim. It is helping me to see the big picture The big story .
It has helped me see how so many of the Epic stories have the same ingredients as God's big story. Eternal love, The entrance of evil, The battle for the heart, The kingdom restored.

The book I finished reading before this was " God's guidance A slow and Certain light" by Elizabeth Elliot.
Elliot is always so encouraging to me , so real. This book deserves to be in everybody's library. Only five chapters long it is simple but true.
And reminds us of who our God is and that he cares for us ,and wants to guide us . He knows what is best for us .
I know this but it is so hard to remember (especially when it doesn't seem like he's guiding me at all!)

So the subject of these books relates to what I've been thinking about lately.
My future path. What does it look like? should I go to the left or the right?
What is my next step? I feel so blind sometimes , like a rat in a labratory maze and God is looking down and waiting for me to just make a move ! any move! .......what move.

Our Father ( creator of the universe.)
Who art in heaven (Who sees above the maze)
Hallowed be thy name( May your name be adored)
Thy kingdom come( Not my kingdom, God's rule and right ordering of all that's wrong)
On earth as it is in heaven ( My will undone, to pray for my life to be a living sacrifice.)
Give us this day our daily bread (We could not draw a breath without him.)
Forgive our trespasses ( Restart us anew)
As we forgive those who trespass against us (Let us forgive as he forgave us.)
Lead us not into temptation ( No ideas of our heroic strength)
Deliver us from evil ( deliver me from my own evil tendencies, not taken out of the evil ,but kept from it.)
Amen.

Summer days

Daylilies
Crazy may days are over, busy hot July days have passed. Now comes one of my favorite Months: August
It's still able too be way too Hot! but has a hint of fall in the cool nights.
The shop has had a lull ,and I have been put to work painting signs. Honestly it's really fun and doesn't even feel like work!
It fills up the long quiet hours that we know with mixed emotions will come to an end someday.Heres some things that enrich my August this year. I'd love to hear about yours.

swimming
We seem to go swimming the most in August . We have the time and we know the weather could turn any day. I love the feel of the cold Lake water as I plunge into the shock and float up slowly to the surface.

My first time to the marcus Fair
An Ice cream cone served out of an old cute white truck.( That is a great memory even if the picture is blurry.)
The tractor Pull, the Photo booth, signing up for every drawing, watching people, Robins first Funnel Cake.

puffy clouds

Creativity
I haven't forgotten Africa I don't want to.
I made this painting on the spur of the moment. I enjoyed painting with my fingers ,and remembering the feeling of being in the sun at the care point watching the day go slowly by , looking into the faces of the women who worked hard at doing the same thing everyday . Seeing their laughter and sparkle.

Pie
What can I say about pie. Pie is just a good thing everyone should make a pie . this one is beautiful in it's imperfection.
Peaches ,blueberries and apple with cinnamon and brown sugar a buttery crust .....mmm.
As soon as you can you should make a pie.

New pillow covers
Not necessary for a great August, but very fun and easy .
This is fabric I got at the market in swazi. Makes it extra special even though it doesn't go with the couch. beautiful in its bold crazy unmatchiness.

Tomato Sauce

smells up the whole kitchen with sweet, rich, warm aroma.

Pickled beets and cucumbers
Now is the time to try and save all that Garden abundance
I made pickled beets for the first time also a type of pickle relish . I'm always up for something new ,but find it hard to do the same recipe twice to perfect it! We shall see how these taste.

Camping
Smoke, and Smores, cheesy jokes and stories . You just can't beat a good campfire ( though the ground seems to get harder and harder to sleep on every year!).
Enjoy your August everyone! Whats your favorite part about the month?

A Mad Tea Party

Once upon a time there was a girl named Robin who dreamed of living in a wonderland.
She waited until everyone thought she was too old for such a silly dream and surprise This year near her Birthday she found out she lived in wonderland already!
She was not too old and neither are you!
Last Sunday afternoon our house was turned into a crazy silly tea party, there was cake (my new favorite cake : Ice box cake!) and the dormouse's ginger scones, The March hares Ginger ale and a pool of tears tea. There was bright banners and pink flamingos and croquet and .... wonderful people to share it with.

Sorry... no one was proposed too , but in the theme of nonsense this tag made sense.

Here we have the brave croquet players we just didn't have porcupines or pink flamingo mallets ( or anyone screaming "off with your head!")

The Birthday Girl is in Blue ( of course). Mom was really stylin in her Orange and Black .I think she should where hats on a regular basis.

Tea cups galore!

So thank-you to everyone who helped ( April and Liz!) prepare and tear down. and thanks Lewis Carroll for writing such a crazy book. We all enjoy a little nonsense once in awhile ( cake doesn't hurt either.)

Hope in Swaziland

I made it home a couple of weeks ago and had to run to start up my life again. So I have wanted to update you on my trip but haven't gotten around to it. until .....Now.
This trip was amazing! the group I went with was great. It was a slice of all the ages of our church Men and Women I still can't really believe I've been to Africa.
It's too much to share in one blog ! we basically hung out every day with the cooks at one of the care points where they serve kids 2 meals a day.
we painted a mural and did VBS while some of the men started to build a house for a women named Grace ( she is enough for a seperate blog post!)

since my brain tends to be unclear and disorganized I like to make lists so here are some things I learned . (upon reflection I've thought of so many things but I will start with these.)
1.How important relationships are.
2. Your words will have power when you back them up with love in action.
3.In places that have no hope Jesus is the only way to find lasting hope.
4. Our possessions don't make us happier
5. Every child loves to be hugged and held
6. About the beauty of African songs.
7. How beautiful Swaziland is!
8. Obedience to God and the holy spirit is invigorating and exciting.( even though it's scary beforehand.)
9. Silence doesn't have to be awkward .It's okay to just sit with someone and wait for words.

10. God's word feeds the soul.
11. More money doesn't make you more generous.
12. It's hard (even on a missions trip) to have a servants heart and not try and get the praise . Lifting others up and not yourself.
13. When you need strength just ask. God will give it to you.
14. A lot of what I take for granted is just how I was raised and my culture. Not everyone in the world has the same assumptions.

Why was I born in America instead of Swaziland ?

My counterpart in Africa (Ntombi) was 25 and pregnant without a Father and without a Husband. She lived with her grandmother and was expecting in Sept. She didn't go to the Doctor anymore because it costs to much.
We found hope in Africa ,but it's only because of Faith in Jesus.

Grace.

Swaziland Peace

Today is the last day before I leave for a missions trip to Swaziland south Africa.I and 12 others from my church are heading out eearly(2:30 A.M!) tomorrow morning to drive to the airport. I am so excited to go ,and I really really want to go on this trip ,but today I felt like I would rather just stay home and not bother with all the worries involved in serving people in another land . I'd rather stay and not fly 16 hours on a plane . And for whatever reason I felt very much like the weather today rainy and stormy just a whole cloud of worry over my head.

Look at this happy child how come she gets to live here in the land of plenty ,and the babies in Swaziland if they don't have HIV/Aids (43% of the population does!) they only have a life expectancy of 31 yrs old!Why am I here? and not there.If I wasn't going I would be even more miserable because I would be disobeying God.Remember Jonah? yeah that could happen with all this rain.Today I heard a preacher say that God gives us everything we have and we have everything we need to do what he has prepared for us to do.
So stop feeling inadequate God chose you to live here and he chose you to go. Remember this promise: have i not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the lord your God will be with you wherever you go.(joshua 1:9)

I have been studying this passage lately ,and it seems very fitting with my struggle today:
be anxious for nothing ,but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the PEACE of God which surpasses all comprehension will gaurd your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our lord.
Phillipians 4:6-7
So please pray for this trip that we would encourage each other and the people there and the missionaries there and that God would work over and abundant good for the people who are hurting in Swaziland . I will post pictures as soon as I can .The people there are beautiful! can't wait to meet them in person!
I get back July 3rd. Don't forget to pray!