Hard Times and Art Therapy

It has royally stunk around here. 
Seriously smelly - Literally.  

The sewer line to the house exploded last week leaving a brown fountain in my guest bath.  I spent the evening getting very intimate with my wet dry vac.  We then spent the next five days waiting on help.  Only to be able to flush "when needed".  I spent five days without being able to do laundry ((insert reminder of 4 children)).  The dishes won the battle within the first 12 hours.

Then the tenants called.  They have been having "issues" in the house for a few months and are moving out.  Seriously, the called within 24 hours of the toilet fountain happening.  The "issues" they were having warranted a phone call 2 months ago but they just didn't seem to do that.  

I went over to see the house and all I saw was dollar signs.  It was overwhelming.  I was sad.  

Right now - this all seems impossible.  With a tight budget, a husband who travels all week and four very busy kids - there is a little voice inside my head screaming THIS seems impossible.  

But that little voice is remaining just a whisper.  Because in the midst of the most stress I have had in years, I feel stronger than I ever have.  It is like God has given me a super cape to fly through these problems.  

My cape consists of a daily quiet time.  There are a few close confidants that he has placed in my life to bounce ideas off of.  My husband has exercised a great deal of empathy when dealing with me and that is amazing.  My children even understand the need to bound together and fight thru.  

Then there is the art.  I am almost nervous about calling it that.  I always thought of artists as people who could paint or sculpt.  That is not me.  But according to Webster this is art - 

: something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings

My art has been a gift of therapy lately.  It transcends around happiness, joy, faith, and enjoying all that life has to offer - the good and the bad.  

I am incredibly grateful that God gave me the gift to do what I do.  I pray that everyone who receives one of my pieces knows that life is wonderful - if we choose. 

Fall Mantel Reminder

I love to decorate - just don't have the time.  

Maybe because it is in the most used room of the house?  Maybe it is just always screaming to be loved?

This fall I decided to keep it really simple and really budget friendly.  The window was an old yard sale find for 5.00.  The glass vases I have had forever.  Inside the vases are some drift wood pieces that I snagged at the lake - free!  The & sign came from Michaels for 3.00 and has a nice coat of chalkboard paint.  The little white pumpkins came from the grocery store for a 1.00 a piece.  But the most important piece of the mantel is that banner.

The banner says simply - in everything give thanks.  Soon after I made that banner a lot of really big things started to fall apart around here.  The rental house imploded, our house imploded, nothing is going right.  That all happened after I hung this banner.  And everyday as I stress about it all, I have no choice to but to see this natural canvas reminder and bring myself back to earth.

It is such a sweet reminder that trials are not in vain, they produce an end.  

I hope if you are climbing a mountain that seems impossible to summit that you will look behind you and realize how many steps you have already take to get to the point you are at.  You can finish!