Progress by Susan L.

  Two illustrations down for the Cat's Paw story, a bunch more to go. At least, the pen and ink part is done. I haven't decided if I am going to colour them or not but a splash of colour against the black and white is always effective. The illustrations are roughly six by nine so they don't take too long to do.
  I chuckled when I blogged about doing thumbnails and all that prep stuff. It wasn't going to happen. That was the part that used to frustrate me to no end when I was in college. Jumping right into the thick of things is my nature. The pictures are taking shape in my mind anyways. That's good enough for me.
  I might have to sketch Pumpkin a fair bit to use as a cat model for the story. That is if he'll sit still long enough! Thankfully the internet is also filled with pictures of cats if he won't.
  I'm pretty sure I posted the story last year some time after writer's group. The basic story line is about a cat at a brickyard in the late 1800's. It was inspired by a brick at the centre which is in an old, rambling house. The brick is near the front door and actually has a cat's paw print imbedded in it. I am going to include a photo of it in the story.
  I did a bit of research into brickmaking and the clothing at the time. They did have steam run machines which totally messes with my story. In it, they make bricks by hand. Which might have happened in a smallish brickyard. I could always do an educational blurb near the back. The idea was to draw all the equipment but in this day and age, I could simply add a few internet links to the information. Hmmm, anything to get out of drawing a straight line!
  Okay, one step at a time. There's a few more illustrations to go before I reach that point. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew or the whole thing will fall to the wayside like it has for other big projects. Overwhelm means stalling, procrastinating, and eventually not doing anything. That too, is in my nature.
  Could You help me with that my Lord?
  "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing." Jer 10:23-24
 

News by Susan L.

  I was horrified to hear of the attack on the magazine in France by Muslim extremists. The murder of artists, the political cartoonists, who are so adept at pushing buttons with their often controversial depictions of those in power is very shocking. It's also very scary. However, the resulting huge demonstrations where pens, instead of candles, were held aloft to defy those who would silence the freedom of the press was astounding.
  It grieves me terribly when my Lord and Savior is part of one of these political cartoons. It upsets me when the Christian faith is mocked. But then, we obviously have done something to earn the rapier edge of the artist's pen. We have a long way to go to be like Jesus!
  Part of the Muslim practice is to never use any depiction of a human form relating to their faith. That's why their temples are adorned with complex arrangements of pattern and colour. Is there any way for the political cartoonists to get their point across yet still respect this fundamental part of the Muslim life?
  On the other hand, we don't often hear of the countless Christian missionaries and followers who are being killed in Muslim countries. The persecution of people trying to share the gospel appears to be invisible in the media. Somehow it doesn't seem to matter.
  Maybe what's wrong with Christians is we are too passive about protecting our own fundamental beliefs. Perhaps we need to stand behind those who have the courage to go out to try and conquer the world with love. Maybe instead of demonstrations where pens are held aloft, they should be crosses.
  Or perhaps the press isn't as free as we think it is.
  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Mat 5:11-12
 
 

Nightmares by Susan L.

  Each time I woke up and fell back to sleep, I faced hoards of rabid, hairless, demon dogs. The dreams were in glorious Technicolor, complete with smell and sound. I could feel their breath at my heels. The night was spent running for my life in an eerily deserted landscape that the dogs had cleared of human existence. It was like something out of a horror movie. "Hancock" with Will Smith comes pretty close.
  Needless to say, I am not very well rested and am feeling rather disturbed this morning. It made me very thankful for Pumpkin's purring wake-up call. He got some loving ear scratches because he wouldn't let me go back to sleep after I hit the snooze button. More often it makes me frustrated but definitely not today. His furry love assured me it was only dreams.
  I'm a bit rushed this morning. There's a staff meeting at nine so I've got to cut this short. Don't know how much I'll be able to contribute. Hopefully by nine the worst of the nightmare shadows will have fled.
  "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge." Ps 91:4

Prayer by Susan L.

  I went to church on Sunday. Because we are still without a pastor, the sermon was delivered via DVD. Bruxy Cavey was the pastor, a favorite of my youngest son. He delivered an extremely thought provoking sermon on the love of God. Part of it was about how we, as Christians, should love our enemies. It's left me feeling rather guilty and confused as to how I should behave.
  Just before Christmas, my ex-husband sent a me friend request on Facebook. After some thought, I deleted the request. This is what's causing the turmoil in my soul.
  Yes, I've chosen to forgiven him, at least vocally. The Lord is still working on my heart. I don't hate the man and the desire for revenge and punishment has been surrendered to the Lord. I do pray for him. Those are good things.
  I simply don't want him in my life.
  Yes, I know that forgiveness doesn't mean an acceptance of the status quo. I know that being Christian doesn't mean being a doormat.
  I am afraid of him. That's it in a nutshell. The crank call at two in the morning last spring from his buddy only served to cement that fear. He's the one who wasn't hired to cut down my tree for strictly financial reasons...I heard my ex's voice in the background laughing and egging him on. Childish games from men spurred on by alcohol. It's sad really. They probably don't even remember doing it.
  Love your enemy. Hate the sin.
  Lord? Maybe this decision is all self-preservation.
  Am I not worth protecting?
  I pray Your love and grace for him and his buddy will come into their lives. I pray they may come to know You as I have come to know You. I pray they will come to know Your forgiveness just as You have forgiven me many, many things.
  Forgive me, Lord, I simply can't be the one to do it at this time. I place my fear in Your hands. Amen.
  "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me." Acts 22:17-18
  (Thank You, Lord!)
 
 

Birthday by Susan L.

  My granddaughter's third birthday is coming up soon. For my grandson's third I wrote and illustrated a little book. I'd like to do the same for her but where to start? I've a couple of children's stories already written like the one about the cat's paw print in the brick. It 's a true story, the actual brick is near the front door at the centre.
  Let's think about this for a minute. The illustrations for that one are perhaps a bit more than I want to tackle. Hmmm, they could be simple black and white linear drawings with a pop of colour on each page. That would work.
  I'd need to do some research on brickmaking in the early twentieth century. There's the clothing the workers would wear that would need to be checked out at as well. Good thing for the internet.
  Pumpkin could serve as cat model although the cat in the story is female and someone recently told me there's no such thing as a ginger girl cat. If the image is black and white it wouldn't matter.
  The story itself has passed quality control. I read it to my grandson a while ago and he enjoyed it even without the pictures.
  I should talk to my daughter. She uses Shutterfly to do a calendar for us every year. I've seen wedding photo books done by the same company. It wouldn't be too difficult to scan and upload the pictures and text. Or I could do like I did for my grandson's book: colour photocopy the pages, laminate it and bind it with the plastic spine thingy.
  It wouldn't hurt to do a layout of the book with some thumbnail sketches of ideas. Planning has never been my strong point but it would help break this somewhat daunting task into manageable pieces.
  There was a medium sized sketch book in my stocking this year. It's paper with some stone in it that would be ideal for doing pen and ink final drawings. It's a nice size to work with.
  Now, where did I put that story?
  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Mat 6:34

Round and Round by Susan L.

  I'm not getting anywhere this morning with the blog. Three false starts and growing frustration means it might be wise to give it up for today. The brain is not totally present because it's my painting group today at the centre and I need to get a few things.
  The plan is to do a still life: a bowl or some sort of collection of fruit. We've painted apples and oranges on their own so this seems like the next step. That is if it even happens. Depends on the turnout.
  I need to swing by the grocery store on my way in. There's far more interesting fruit than apples that we could paint. It'll take a bit of time in the produce section to pick up a few different items. I was thinking a persimmon or even some nuts might add a bit of visual interest.
  There's also a need to go to the dollar store for some paint. We're out of browns.
  Don't know why I am stressing so much. Lord, I give it to You.
  "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah." Ps 62:8

Happy New Year! by Susan L.

  The old calendar comes down, the new one goes up. It's hard to believe it's 2015, that another year has come and gone. It was a good year despite the hiccups in the spring with the anxiety issue. Glad that got fixed.
  It was a year of accomplishment for me: building the shed, painting the living room, the baseboards installed, the newspaper column, being well and graduating from the PREFER program. The high point was being able to spend more time with my grandchildren.
  Doing the DNA test has brought a great deal of peace. It's nice to know where you come from even if I don't pursue anything further. It's helped me appreciate the gift of being adopted by a loving family and a heavenly One.
  Being adopted means being accepted, not rejected. Funny, I never realized that was an issue.
  It's been a harvest year. Not just in physical accomplishments, but there's been emotional milestones reached. Confidence like I've never felt before has been building and at the same time settling into my soul. It's a strength based in faith and humble gratitude towards the One who has enabled me to reach this place. I wouldn't be here without it or Him.
  There's a deeper appreciation for the gifts and abilities the Lord has blessed me with. I am better at speaking up when others try and compare their skills to mine. It used to be a source of guilt. I can thank my co-worker for the answer. My abilities in art, writing and music require hours of dedication and a deep desire to hone those skills. It didn't happen overnight. (Thanks Mom, for urging me to practice!) Yup, more confidence.
  Although I am still not one to look to the future or to plan very much ahead, the fear of the future has eased. Which basically means the fear of my mental health collapsing has faded. I'm not sure if it will ever be gone completely but it's far better than it was.
  I can dare to dream.
  Turning fifty has meant an end to being in my forties, the most difficult decade of my life. Yay! Like I said, harvest time! Praise God!
  And a Happy New Year to you all! May you be richly blessed.
  "Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is shattered, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." Eccl 12:6-7