Inspiration

Sometimes the smallest thing can be inspiring.....

We have a shed in our back garden and we are planning to clear it out in the holidays. The door had a glass pane in it which has over the years dropped out of the frame but still allows the door to open. The shed became a haven for many creepy crawlies, and we only go in there to take the bikes out during the summer and gingerly step round everything else as we dodge the cobwebs.

I was taking some pictures of the plants in my garden when I noticed a robin singing quite loudly it had some dried grass in its mouth and then it flew on top of the crack in the door where the pane of glass had slid down. I was about to open the door in an attempt to rescue the trapped bird as it jumped around a bit on a replacement door we had in the shed then it flew out. What I realised is that it had built or was building a nest. Got me to thinking how the bird made the best of a situation in the shed and despite the circumstances created a place of peace and comfort for its eggs.

How too then are we inspired by our circumstance, how can we look at them differently to produce a different outcome, perhaps we have been given news that we didn’t expect, how will we respond will we see the benefits or will we focus on the problems....in the meantime, does anyone know how long robin eggs take to hatch?

I am also doing the challenge on my other blog Amanda Trought Art, with a whole different set of words but I have been blessed as I steadily make my way through the alphabet. I know you will be blessed as you make your way around to the blogs of the other participants on the challenge.

Growing

Growth is an indication of change.

When I look at my son as a baby, so cute, wanting to hold my hand and have a big hug from his mummy.....

.....to being the tall young man with a deep voice who seems to always be hungry and who will one day fly the nest, I have to change the way I relate to him, no longer wanting my cuddles and sloppy kisses, but needing me to relate to him in a different way - sharing wisdom, love, support, laughter and inspiration.

With the A-Z Challenge I grow in my writing style and content, as an artist I feel I have grown in my approach, techniques and dreams.  In my loss of a dear friend I grew having to reach deep within, to come to terms with the situation, find unknown inner strengh, determination and hope.  I continue to grow as new situations and circumstances arise, and change and challenges present themselves.....

Fruit

He is like a tree planted by streams of water;

which yeilds its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. 

Whatever he does prospers..

Psalm 1:3

Artwork - Barbara Noel

We said our final farewell to my friend and fellow artist Barbara Noel on Monday, as we celebrated her life at her 'Home Going Service' and I wrote a tribute to her in my post Friendship, it was a moving day, and a blessing to be part of it.  I thought about the impact she had made in many peoples lives and this reminded me of the fruit that we are called to produce in our own lives.

The fruit of the spirit is..love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control....

Galatians 5:22

What is it that you are labouring over, what fruit are you producing, what are you doing to impact those around us?....I have a plum tree in my garden and come August, I am expecting that we will get plums, not potatoes, oranges or tomatoes.  For every flower that appears.....

 - once fallen, a fruit should be in place.

Whatever we do there are certain results that are guaranteed, if we encourage our children and speak positive words into their lives we hope that they will grow up with confidence and secure in who they are..  Take stock and look at what you are currently doing in your life.  Can you clearly see what the fruit of your labour will be.  Does it need some extra nourishment, water, etc and are there any areas that need to be cut back in order to bring a bigger crop, this might take the shape of a course to learn a new art techniques or sharing your art techniques with a disadvantaged group, you could get up that extra half hour to be a blessing to someone, or get some exercise to avoid potential illnesses such as high blood pressure or diabetes.....  Would you spend time raising funds for a charity or a homeless shelter on Christmas day?  Make sure that the time you invest enables the results you are looking for to be achieved.....Is your fruit recognisable?

It has definitely been a challenge writing for the A-Z April Blogging challenge and  I am also doing the challenge on my other blog Amanda Trought Art, with a whole different set of words but I have been blessed as I steadily make my way through the alphabet.  I know you will be blessed as you make your way around to the blogs of the other participants on the challenge.

Environment

Take a look around, what does your environment say about you?  Are you a "place for everything and everything in its place" or a "where ever I lay my hat, that's my home" type of person and then the multitude in between. 

In the throws of spring we hear talk of spring clean, declutter, organise and as creatives perhaps we do need to think about the process we go through.  Are we holding on to what should have been weeded out long ago (ways of thinking, canvases, old equipment, and clutter), when we should be letting go and making room for the new techniques, equipment, thoughts, new collaborations, these are like the seeds waiting to be sown in our lives, and once nurtured, watered and care for will produce unexpected harvests.  You might finally have the courage to submit that work to the magazine, write the book, perform that song, do something differently, whatever it is...

A slightly tidier space!

What we see in our environment may be due for a make over, a change, a total clear out, in order to reap the benefits of the next stage...