Jesus is bigger than any mistake

Here's my latest canvas.

Its an idea thats been swirling round in my mind for a couple of weeks. Unbidden, and relentless.

Its the idea that Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

Which is an idea that could do with a little unpacking.

My three year old asked me what it said. I explained, and this is the conversation that followed:

'So, you know how you stole my tic tacs last night?'

'yeah.'

'that means that even though you did that. Jesus still loves you.'

'oh! yeah!'

About 5 mins later i revisited that conversation.

'Coby? What does my painting say?'

'It says Jesus loves it when you steal!'

I saw i had some more explaining to do.

God's blanket grace for people who turn their heart towards him, is something that takes alot of explaining. Human hearts feel the injustice when we realise that a baby-murderer is offered the same grace, and forgiveness that we ourselves have. Its an unconditional, all consuming love affair, from our Father directed at His creation.

Accepting this for ourselves is a harder ask, harder still, than understanding it. Often we hold on to our hurts, and our condemnation, allowing them to bloom and fester into all manner of ills. How much better to use the medicine of Grace to seep into our bones, and allow healing to occur.

I think this idea turned canvas that God gave me, was not perhaps just for me.

Recently, One of my sons arrived home in a police car, having been picked up for shoplifting. Its such a shocking event, having your child handled by the law, in such a public way, that at first, the incident rocked my whole world. I thought i'd failed as a parent, and perhaps in some ways, i had.

I wondered at the thought process of this the child, who thought that this was ok.

I ranted.

I raved.

I cried.

I prayed.

And slowly, i began to see that just maybe, this incident might not be a defining moment in our lives, it wasn't a line drawn, marked by 'before' and 'after.' It didn't need to fester and scar. It certainly had (and has) consequences. Far reaching ones for sure. But one thing kept coming back.

Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

Stand before him with a repentant heart, and surely he'll turn any action as white as snow. Erased from His memory, free of judgement.

Not for us. Not for our sake, but for His. To elimanate any barrier that would get in the way of His love for Us.

Its an amazing concept, a powerful one. The feeling of freedom contained in it, has transforming power.

And because we have and can accept forgiveness for our sins. We can offer that same forgiveness to others.

You know that lady who cut you off?

Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

That teacher that never calls on your kid when they put their hand up in class?

Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

Your partner cheated on you

Jesus is bigger than any mistake

Your mother was killed in a road accident by a careless driver.

Yes, Jesus is bigger than that mistake too.

I'm not sitting here, saying its an easy road to take. The road from hatred to forgiveness, might be a twisty one with a couple of u-turns. But the final destination is a journey worth taking.

I'll leave you with a Scripture worth thinking about.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
1 John 1: 9

Oh! I found another scripture that really defines my canvas...

Romans 8:38-39

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ironically, its been staring at me from my bedroom wall for a couple of months!

Sky Lantern

We have been having so much fun lately with a packet of sky lanterns we picked up on a discount website.
Personally, i had never encountered them before, and i was very nervous about how they would work.
Turns out, they are supremely easy to use, and such alot of fun, i totally recommend that you get some, and try them out yourself.


Here we are getting set up. Obviously, you have to do this at night, the darker and clearer the night, the better. You light a small fuel block on the bottom of the lantern.

Here it is after a minute filled with hot air and ready for take off. Everyone is excited!



Take off! There she goes...look carefully and you can see a house at the bottom.



Here's the kids in awe of how high its getting. Theres lots of excitement, and lots of conversation. We try to guess how high it will go. We were also nervous it would land on someones roof and cause a fire!

Here is it just before it burnt out. The packaging says it will reach 800m high, And the burn time is approx 5 mins.

The sky lanterns are fully biodegradable, so they arent a problem for the environment when they come back down, although imagine waking up to find one on your lawn! It would make for some puzzling conversations!





Faith VS Life

So here's my latest canvas. It's a scripture that ive had on my mind and my heart for awhile. It came up again while watching 'Courageous'. And i thought i'd paint it.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14

But what does that actually mean? What does that look like played out in life. I mean: It sounds good, its poetic, heroic, & catchy. I wonder if it means abandoning home comforts for a foreign mission field, or can it possibly mean living a normal life.
I don't consider myself religious. Religion to me is a set of rituals you do over and over, losing the meaning or the emotion behind the actions. I have a relationship with God, and also Jesus, who is my Saviour, and who laid down his human life for me to have my life.
I attend church regulary. For teaching, inspiration, fellowship. But most of all, because its my favourite place to be in the whole world. I look forward to Sundays. I feel out of sorts when i don't attend. I acknowledge that God doesn't live in church. 'Church' isn't the building. Church is the people that go. People that have become my family.
If i didn't ever go to Sunday worship again, i fully believe God wouldn't disown me.
So church attendance isn't serving God.

I wonder if its all the little things that make up daily life, and if so, i know i have to pick up my game. There are great big grey areas that need some serious light shining into them, before they fall into line with serving God.
The children, were interested in what i was painting, and when explained...balked at the word SERVE. It is an 'outdated' word in a me-first society. Media will tell you, 'Do what you want to feel happy. Thats the most important thing. Your choices aren't mine, but they are equally valid.'
In that climate, servanthood has no place.
The bible calls us to lose our life, in order to gain it. To empty ourselves out in order to fill ourselves. To offer the other cheek to a person who just slapped our face. Its a shocking revelation. It was when Jesus announced it. It is now.
But, the truth of it is undeniable. In a culture where depression is the norm, Putting ourselves first is not working for us.
Solomon, the wisest man ever to have lived, on his death bed states' Vanities of vanities!' and then chastises himself for his obsession with material possession. Solomon claims to have never denied himself a single pleasure.

I tried to explain to my son, that perhaps serving God means not walking away from a teacher when they are talking to you, deferring to the biblical principal of honoring those in authority. For another son, it meant getting baptised, publicly taking your stand for God.

I think it may mean different things for different people at different times. And i hope my life reflects a servanthood for Christ. I know that when the race is done, i hope to hear my Father tell me, Well Done good and faithful servant, in whom i am well pleased. And i hope my family strives for that goal too.

More Cards

I'm pleased to announce that so far i have kept to my New Year Goal of making cards one month ahead for special birthdays. Here are my March birthdays, minus one, still in the works.







~*~Valentines Day Afternoon ~*~

I came up with the idea to have Catey host a Valentines Day afternoon tea for two reasons. One was that i wanted an opportunity to meet some of the kids she'll be hanging out with this year, and the other is that Caitlin was going into a class with children lots of kids she hadn't met and it was a good chance to make some inroads with some girls before that clicky thing that girls do kicked in.

I enjoyed collecting anything heart related, and trying to think of heart themed foods. Here are the results:
Heart Invites, each one was different, but made with the same elements.





We had heart biscuits, a heart cake, cupcakes with heart toppers and candycane hearts!!

I decorated the table with heart balloons too.

We also did a wee craft. Heart related, of course! We did handprints in the shape of a heart and footprints, which is a nice momento for parents.







Another Painting Idea

Although Coby's enthusiasm for painting has waned, I saw this on the net and it was such a good idea, i wanted to share it.
Basically, you get a muffin tray and spray shaving foam into each hole.

Then you add a few drop of food coloring to each one, and stir it in. It doesn't go watery and holds its consistancy really well.

Once you've made your 'paints', you can just paint it onto paper like a normal pot of paints, but i decided to put it into an empty bath and let Coby paint a wall. I needed him to take a shower anyway, so it was win-win!

And it washed off the wall as easy as pie when i switched the shower on. Totally recommend for a good bit of fun.

Crafty Stuff

Craft. I've always loved it. But just lately i've really got into it. Into all sorts of different mediums. Ive tried knitting, sewing, cross stitch, painting, ploymer clay, baking (its a craft!), jewellery making, crystal hangings, card making, plaster of paris sculpting.... you name it, ive tried it recently.

I can't claim to have any real talent, but what i lack in that department. I make up for in raw enthusiasm. I seem to have quite a few projects in my head too, that are aching to be tried out. For instance, i want to make a sisal lampshade for above my dining table. (That is next on my project list!)
I also want to make some fabric roses to embellish some clothes. Wheat bags...i want to make them for Christmas gifts. Oooo, Christmas... Christmas ornaments, i have some in mind i need to make! i saw some salt dough gift tags, they look great.

As you can see, i have enough 'wants' to keep me busy for some time. Heres some of the projects ive got through.

I made this out of two pieces of fabric i found in our local sally's store for $4. i took off the existing curtain and pilfered the tapes off the top to hang it with and then i sewed it togethher and fashioned it into a curtain. It took me a couple of hours, but i was really pleased with the result.

Heres my owl canvas. I have a real obsession for owls at the moment. But not the actual birds. Im really liking the cartoon version, especially in a zany or vintage print. At some stage i want to make a sewn toy of one, And ive just made a polymer clay one. I just think they are delightful.

Here he is, and hes come out exactly as i had planned. Boy i love him! I keep sneaking a peek at him. Im going to get a long piece of leather and wear him as a necklace. Working with polymer clay was one of my New Year Goals. Im pleased to say ive made a start! I definately want to make some card toppers with the stuff.  I made a pink one too for Caitlin. He wasn't as good. The pink clay i bought was hard to work with, it may have been old stock? the other colours however, were really easy to mold and shape.

I have a plaster of paris volcano on the go at the moment, i need to get the right shape, which is proving difficult. Then will add baking soda and vinegar to show Coby.