Homegrown Hospitality

Changing the World, Part Three

Being the home builder on my world was just as fun as I thought it would be.  I simply cut and stuck the way I wanted to without the stress or worry about what coordinated with what or how it looked to others.

What a concept...You should try it out.  I am going to do this more often.

Then I needed to add the thoughts.  I thought a little about hand painting the words, stamping the words or stenciling the words and then, out of the blue, I decided to scan some dictionary paper, add some text, print it out on "newsprint" paper, tear it out and stick it on.

For me (and if I may suggest it to others) to starting changing the world, whether it is a globe, your family, your community, your relationships, etc., stay centered in faith, focussed on your journey and then go for it..well, and remember, home is best.

and what am I going to do with this? You are wondering...

It is for sale, so if you are interested in owning the world, just email me.

Out of My Hands

I had about 7 minutes.

I was in between a big airplane and a small one.  

Going from two pilots, a full crew and complimentary drinks twice in the flight to Snoopy flying a plane, one crew member and an aisle between seats that was to narrow to have a service cart go up and down when I got the call...

and another and another and another..and then a text, and another..and another.

I started to feel my knees buckle and for a brief 100th of a second thought "turn around and go home" even though it was a very minor "issue"..very minor.   For a twelve year old that doesn't like when his momma goes away from home, the minor issue probably seemed HUGE and because when I was twelve and I did not like when my momma went away, I knew what he was feeling.

DEEP BREATH...

Outside the window, Snoopy was up on a ladder starting to spin the propellers on the plane to get the engine started when the call came over the intercom bullhorn that it was time to board....

Me being me, being a mom that is now across the country from home, has a phone vibrating in her pocket and is watching snoopy wipe the dew off of the plane window that is the size of a small fish aquarium, I had to pull up my boot straps, take a deep breath, walk out onto the runway to climb that ladder to get to the plane and just get to my seat all-the-while trying to ignore the buzzing of the vibrating phone...shoot..I needed to turn off my phone so snoopy could fly the damn plane (sorry for the language).

I got to my seat, buckled in, shut my eyes and prayed it away.

PRAYED THROUGH IT and GAVE IT AWAY.

Moral and lesson of the story = There was nothing I could do, but exactly what I did which was all I could do.

Let it go and let GOD have it.  It was out of my hands..and into His, like a hot potato.

whew.

Little did I know that the above story would be exactly what I needed to go through to be able to turn it into art for the prompt that Courtney was going to send me..

Always know that something you are going through is for a reason. You have to "Go through it to grow though it", challenges lead to growth whether you are 12 or 40 something, and as the book "The Seed" quotes on page 98:

Give it to God...HE can handle it...and get going on what you are supposed to be doing.

Home is Best...

..but Pennsylvania is REALLY GOOD...and I dream of living, creating and growing old here  (or something similar)

and walking down to the road to pick up handwritten notes from my friends..(friends, you will write me, right???)

On my way to PA, I read a book named "The Seed" by Jon Gordon that my sweet friend Cori brought me and it was the perfect starter to an even more perfect long (yet super quick, too fast) weekend.  I highlighted a quote and/or passage on almost every page and you will see those words come to life via pen and paper.

During my Saturday class, I brought up the book, The Seed, and as I was talking about how much the book spoke to me, my friend Pam approached me with a little gift...a new coffee cup and look what it reads:

These are the things that confirm my purpose and that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing...

Thank you PA, Staci & Jeff and the Shuck Family and all of you who joined me on Saturday, to Kim, Lisa and Tracy for driving me to "The Valley" (Kim..YOU WON!) .....more coming tomorrow..nned to get back to laundry!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE PA????

Be All You Can Be

no, not in the Army..

in life.

Yesterday I mentioned LOVE one another, and if that is not hard enough, today I am mentioning the "P" word...

PURPOSE.

Don't roll your eyes.

YOU were created as a one of a kind with a....here it comes.....

PURPOSE,

so work at it and do it well.

Now, I know that sounds really easy...."Hey, just figure it out and do it."

But what if you are not sure?

What if you think you know what you are supposed to be doing but are not sure if you are supposed to be doing it...

then what?

Well, I suppose you could ask Siri, Google it or check Wikipedia, but my suggestion is to just plain ol' ask God...

and then listen.

p.s. here is a post about how it took me a long time to figure it out...

Works of HEart

I have been creating "Works of HEart" on canvas, paper & wood, even blank journals, for several months knowing the specific purpose for the work but not knowing how, where or even better "what" I was going to do with them all. 

I just kept creating and doing what I was to be doing...and stacking them high.

Yesterday, on a whim, I took my stack and "displayed" them just to see what I had.  At one point, Jack even stopped to ask "Mom, what are you doing???" and I just answered..."Just Playing" (but what I was playing was "Art Show")

so this morning, I get an email from my best pal Staci at Grove's asking if I wanted to bring asome of my orginals to Grove's....

for a little Art Show during my classes.

Of course she asked me that...

and of course I want to...

and of course HE knew...

because THAT IS HOW GOD WORKS.

For months, I have been working on a new purposeful way of teaching, teaching techniques to make things like in the photos above. My new "hands on" (not online) class is designed to teach you how to create art from HEart (which sounds confusing)

BUT, some of you do not want to take a class, some of you do not want to learn another technique and some of you do not want to take another online class...so, I am going to start (slowly) offering my "Works of HEart Art" starting with a little Stephanie Ackerman Designs Art Show at Grove's at the end of April.

For more information on my classes and for the Art Show, please visit the Grove's website at http://www.grovesoffice.com/Home.html

 

Stretched and Uncomfortable

Now that is a pleasant title for a Friday...

"Stretched and Uncomfortable" is something that, when doing the will of God, we will feel at one time or another and sometimes...more often than not.  It is what I am feeling and maybe what you are feeling, too...but it does not mean you get to give in or give up...oh, no...

Trouble is part of life, duh and when you are in the midst of troubles, conflicts, strife, ________________ (enter your thought here) amongst all of the homework you struggle to help with, socks to match, appointments to make and carpools to figure out, how you deal with all of it is what makes the difference. Relying on God and doing what HE wants you to do versus how YOU think you should handle your situation will make all of the difference.  When you are sure of that, you will be able to deal with what life brings you much easier.  It will provide you a sense of peace and THAT is what living in Gods will is all about. 

I am certain you are thinking "Well, good morning to you, too" or "Well, I am sure glad I stopped here this morning" which I am glad you did, because I am learning and growing in my walk and here to tell you that "Stretched and Uncomfortable" is a normal and good....and the name of a new canvas that I created yesterday out in the ol' shead-teau while the sun rose...

which, by the way, is a great way to start the day! 

Don't Strain Your Eyes

When it is dark,

When you can not seem to focus,

When things never seem to change,

When you feel like there is a dark cloud floating over you,

When you keep looking for a sign.. for a change... for just a glimmer of something..

Don't strain your eyes.

 

 

Remember, just because you can not see it or feel it, there is HOPE and a future because HE is there, He said it and it is a promise.

It's called Faith.

Yay!

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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29: 11-13