H is for Hope

...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint Isaiah 40:31

This is one of my favourite scriptures that lifts me up regardless of what is going on around me.  If you do not have hope what reason would you have for getting out of bed, there wouldn't be any point to your existence.  

I feel that the contributions that you can make to life, environment and the world are important and the positive influence you could have on the lives of those around you mean something, you are here for a reason and a purpose   Do you hope that you will wake up the next day or take it for granted?  There are some around the world that hope for food to feed their families, and many in war torn areas hope for peace, for an end to whatever situation they are facing. 

Once you have hope a way can be made, be it in the hands of others to be convinced to take action or motivating people around the world and getting together to effect change.  This hope is what we spring board from and take the actions to be a blessing to others.

I celebrate my life today knowing that I have hope for many things in my life, that I will see a positive change in the world as more people gather together to take action for a better world for the generations to come.  What are you hoping for?

Painting for the day

Each day I will show a completed piece of art or journal page hope you enjoy today's..

 

  Mixed Media - Journal Page

 

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with a random selection of those who are also taking part in the 2013 A-Z Challenge,it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter H, but a few of them for you to start with....

 

Home is where the Mom is 

Heartfelt Balance, Handmade Life 

Happy Hootenanny

Hanging Out and Hanging In

Home to Italy

 

 

 

 

 

 

G is for Growth

Growth is part of a process and we assume after a period of time  there should be some changes.  On Saturday I talked about being fruitful and part of producing fruit is a result of growth taking place, the quality of the fruit is something else!

As a mixed media Artist, I never assume that I know all there is to know about art, I am still a work in progress and appreciate that there are still many things to learn - new techniques and equipment that I have yet to try.  I therefore think it is vitally important to make an investment each year in my learning and development.  Along the way I also do a lot of reading and interacting with other artists, for with each encounter I want to learn something new, gain a new insight along the way which I can apply to my life and essentially grow.  Taking part in this challenge is always a learning experience and is something that has made me more confident to blog.  I celebrate my life today and I am thankful that learning is important to me.  I will continue to invest in my growth.  Can you identify areas of your life where growth has taken place?

Painting of the Day - 

Each day I share some of my newly completed work!

Mixed media 11"x8.5"

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with a random selection of those who are also taking part in the 2013 A-Z Challenge, it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter G, but a few of them for you to start with...

Going the Distance

Growing Up Victoria

Golden Lilly Crafts

God Has No Problems

Grace Grits and Gardening

Listening - Thought for the Week - 52 Weeks of Colour

Thought for the Week

 

Your blessings are waiting for you, it is never to late to turn things around, you just have to decide what you are going to do and make the step. 

Above all, you need to listen to your heart and take time to nurture the dreams that live within you.  What have you been 'hearing' that you now need to 'listen' to? 

Listen to the Podcast

Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby. ...Unknown 

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."  Psalm 37:5

Additional Things to do...

Spend time meditating on the words and allowing them to permeate your inner consciousness.

Think about the changes you would like in your own life and the step or steps you would like to take. Take out your art journal and be creative, use colour, texture, whatever you feel inspired to use.

I love to hearing from listeners and you can connect with me on a number of platforms

Amanda Trought on Social Media (Realityarts):

www.youtube.com/amandatrought

twitter.com/Realityarts

www.instagram.com/realityarts/

www.facebook.com/realityartss/

http://realityarts-creativity.blogspot.com

Celebration - Creating in Faith

We don’t usually celebrate on a daily basis and its generally left to those special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings, but I think that we should be celebrating a lot more things.

This month I am taking part in the A-Z April Challenge which you would have gathered if you have been here before, or not if this is your fist time. I decided that my focus for the month of April would be celebrating life, looking at those parts of my life that I am thankful for, the qualities I overlook and take time to acknowledge them.  We have such a fast paced lives we generally tend to forget just how much we have achieved and that we need to be thankful for our lives.  So today, I ask you to join me in a celebration  to acknowledge how far you have come but not only that, whatever your current circumstances, you have the opportunity to experience something different today.

A celebration of the breath we take, for being alive and being able to sit in the sun with the gentle breeze blowing against our cheeks. Yes today I celebrate the love that God has for me, that he loved me so much that he gave his only son. 

Today you get to impact on the world, what will you do, how will you appreciate what you have today, what can you do to work towards the dreams, plans and goals you have.  How will you celebrate and acknowledge your life this coming week?

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take delight in you, he will quiet you with his love.  He will rejoice over you with singing Haggai 3:17

F is for Fruitful

The shall be known by their fruit....Matthew 7:16

When we think of fruit we understand that it is the end result of a period of growth for the plant, and we can grow to expect it, I know that come July the plum tree in my garden will bear fruit, but it is not ready to pick until around mid august.  Outside influences can have an effect on my fruit such as the weather, birds that get to them before they are picked, pests, or lack of nutrition.

The fruit go on to have a cycle, plum pie, jam and other tasty treats and the seeds tossed in the composting bin or replanted in pots, if they are eaten by the birds the seeds will be carried far and wide to either grow elsewhere or not if they fall on stony ground.  They can fall from the tree and try and grow on the grass, but will meet an unfortunate end when Alan mows the grass.  The best hope for the plum tree is that the seeds are taken to new environments and fall on good ground to begin their lifecycle again.

Each year I expect plums and I get plums!  The tree doesn’t surprise me one year and give oranges – though that would make a tasty change.  I celebrate today that I can work on my creativity, that I will be known by my fruit – the positive and encouraging words that I can share with others.  We can have an impact on the world in many ways; let our lives impact on generations to come in a positive way. With all that you are currently doing in your life, what does your fruit look like?

Painting of the Day - 

Each day I share some of my newly completed work!

Entangled 18"x15"

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with a random selection of those who are also taking part in the 2013 A-Z Challenge, it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter F, but a few of them for you to start with...

Ficticious Amo

Fairbetty's World

Flash Tyme

Finding

Faith Laces

E is for Encouraging

Art Journal Page - Mixed media

Are there times when you have felt like giving up?  or ‘throwing in the towel’ because you  just couldn’t see where you were meant to be/go next and you were at the stage where you were going to leave it all and change your direction?

I know that I’ve been there and I doubt it will be the last, because this is how life can be sometimes.  We will all have those times of doubt and insecurity and we can question the stage of our journey, and in these times all that is needed to put you back on to track is an encouraging word, to remind you that you are enough right where you are, that you are on the right track and giving up is not an option.  That little piece of encouragement could be the very thing that is needed to put you back on course, and remind you how close you are to your goals.  It can be a word of insight spoken by someone else, or something you have put in place to remind yourself just how far you have come.  I celebrate the gift of being able to encourage others, and impact in a positive way into their lives.   

When you think back can you remember those who spoke encouraging words into your life and how they impacted into your life even to this day?  How can you be more encouraging to others in what they are doing? 

Painting for the day

Each day I will show a completed piece of art or journal page hope you enjoy todays

 

 Mixed media Art Journal page - I am Enough

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with a random selection of those who are also taking part in the 2013 A-Z Challenge,it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter E, but a few of them for you to start with....

 

Entertaining Interests  

Ellas Edge

Embracing Dawn

Empty Nest Insider

Exordium