Summer 2014

I'm back at school now and that means I have internet again! During this past summer I was canvassing and internet was sporadic and unreliable. However, that doesn't mean I haven't been drawing. I had a number of good sketches but I gave most of them away to people but I will show you what I have left.

Just a little update on what has been happening the last few months:
This summer I was canvassing for ten weeks and that was a challenge and a blessing. For those of you who do not know what canvassing means, it is a door-to-door method of evangelism work where individuals sell religious books on a donation basis. This work was truly a challenge to me and a huge blessing as well. There were some days that I didn't want to keep going but by the grace of God I pulled through and I can look back and see ways in which I have grown. I can't tell you how many specific prayers I saw God answer throughout this summer. It was a great encouragement to me and it personally strengthened my faith in God. Let me tell you an amazing story.

I honestly don't like courthouses. I associate them with getting speeding tickets, police officers and jail. Throughout the summer, I had several opportunities to canvass courthouses. Each time the experience was a bit intimidating - tall building, police officers, security officers at the door, upset people etc. I know that there are people inside of courthouses who may not have an opportunity otherwise to see or hear of Jesus. I definitely know there are people inside of courthouses who would appreciate a word of encouragement or a prayer. On this particular day I approached a courthouse and on the inside I was really scared. I began praying earnestly in my heart that the Lord would open a way for me to reach people within this courthouse and that I could be a blessing and meet people's specific needs.

I walked inside the door and was promptly greeted by a security officer. He immediately asked what was I doing, what case did I have to present and who did I want to see. I responded that I didn't have a case to present, I wanted to speak with anyone who was available and that I was a student working on a summer scholarship project. He thought for a moment and then directed me to the sheriff's office. If going inside a courthouse was intimidating, being sent straight to the sheriff's office was worse. "But hey," I thought, "there might be someone in there who needs exactly the books that I have got." So off I went. I spoke with the officers and in the end, one of the officers ended up getting the book "Bible Answers!"

I headed back to the lobby and the security guard asked me if I had had a successful conversation with the sheriff's department. I answered that I had and he directed me next to the county judge's office. I really began praying that the Lord would use me in such a way so that I could be a blessing to the judge's heart. After waiting a moment, the judge called me in her office and I showed her the books that I had and told her about them. All the while I was praying and in the end, she got the devotional book "Christ's Object Lessons." I went from that office rejoicing!

The same security guard told me to visit the tax offices next. One of the ladies in there told me that she had a young daughter. She was immediately interested in the children's book that I had and got the book for her daughter saying that she wanted her child to have a good book about Jesus to read. One of the other ladies in the same office got the beautiful devotional book "Steps to Christ." Again, I was rejoicing that the Lord was using me to bless others and to meet their needs.

After leaving the tax offices, I noticed a young man waiting outside of a courtroom. I sat down by him and started a conversation. It turns out that he was struggling with some family issues and that he was searching for a deeper walk with the Lord. He mentioned that he enjoyed studying about end time events and I was able to give him the book "The Great Controversy" which speaks about that. He was very thankful that I had stopped by and he was very appreciative of the book. We had a prayer together and when we had finished praying he had tears in his eyes. He kept saying he was so glad I had stopped by and that our meeting was not a coincidence. Again, I went on my way praising the Lord that He was directly answering my prayers. All in all, in that courthouse five books went out. The Lord had answered my prayer that I could be a blessing to others and meet their specific needs. I also later found out that a friend of mine had at the same time been specifically praying that five books would go out at that courthouse! The Lord is beyond amazing! What a blessing and a privilege to be doing the Lord's work!


That was just one experience and I could share many more. Now, I am back at school. I am the assistant girls dean for the academy and that is such a blessing as well! I ask that you keep me in prayer this semester as I work with these girls. I long to see each one of them grow in their relationship with the Lord.

The Last 3-ish Months

So somebody reminded that I hadn't been posting on here. I haven't had time to sit down and make anything! Six classes, (17 credit hours), eight hours of work, lots of reading and homework and even a couple of weeks of canvassing for the first time have kept me busy! I have immensely enjoyed school though and it's a great feeling to be busy and productive.

Like I said, I did go canvassing for a little while. This was my first time doing this and it was very scary at first but by the end it wasn't too bad. I had so many funny experiences happen! Like one time I saw a bunch of people and I got scared and didn't want to talk to any of them so I hurried into a nearby bathroom. Inside the bathroom was a woman that I ended up talking to and she eventually bought two books from me!
Another time I knocked on a door that I thought was the back door to an apartment. It turned out to be the door to a full cafeteria of a large retirement home. I was surprised to walk in and find so many people looking at me but when I regained my composure I was able to talk with a lot of people in there!
I did have many divine appointments as well where I was able to meet people, encourage them (and they encouraged me too!), pray with them and praise the Lord for goodness and mercy. It never ceases to amaze me how God orchestrates everything in our lives- whether it be while canvassing, at school, at our churches, and even in our daily duties.

The weather at my school in Arkansas has been really crazy. One morning I walked out of the dorm and it was short-sleeves and flip-flop temperature. By evening time we had freezing rain and the next day it snowed. Talk about weather that can't make up its mind!

Right now I am in Louisiana for two weeks. One of my friends in the academy was unable to go with her classmates on their senior mission trip. Instead, her and I are helping out with an evangelistic series in my hometown and then we will be traveling to New Mexico to volunteer at a Native American mission school and afterwards we will be traveling in Colorado. This is an exciting experience for both of us. I am really excited to travel to New Mexico and Colorado as I haven't been to either of those states! Although I am missing a couple weeks of school it has so far been well worth the time! The evangelistic series in my hometown has been going well with around one-hundred people in attendance each night!

Before I left for Louisiana with my friend I was really worried about getting lost. I am super directionally challenged! We did get lost twice....once I ended up in Texas and that took about forty-five minutes to figure out. No, I don't have a GPS in case you were wondering. All I had was a page and a half of directions that I had printed out from Google maps.

While at school, about two weeks ago, I made an impromptu decision to try my hand at keeping some goldfish. I bought two fish and kept them in a medium sized vase. Unfortunately, the day after I bought two containers of fish food one of them died. Two days later, the other fish died. I don't think I'll try that again....it was kind of sad to flush the poor fishies down the toilet. Instead, I just filled my vase up with daffodils and spring buds. That's a lot easier. I went out for a walk, though, and found some bullfrog eggs. I considered bringing some back to the dorm and trying to raise some frogs but I didn't know how that would go over with my roommate so I chose not to do that.

So that's been my life for the past 3-ish months. Lot's of school, reading and homework! But it's been fun and I can't wait to see what new adventure comes up next! Unfortunately I haven't had time to make any creative/artsy things. Oh-well....now you know why at least! :)

New Year's Prayer - A Poem

In keeping with my challenge to write more poems, here is another poem I have written. It is based off of several Bible texts and my own prayers.

New Year's Prayer 

Cleanse my heart, oh God,

Create it clean again.

Wash it white as snow, 

Remove the sin within.

Renew my spirit, Lord.

Teach me all your ways.

This miracle you do,

God, I give you praise.

As I try to live for You,

A worker in the field,

Mold me and refine me.

Lord, my life to You I yield.

Put me anywhere,

Lead me as I go.

Nothing will I fear,

You're with me, that I know.

The path is not easy,

The mountains rough and steep.

My trust in You I place.

My footsteps You will keep. 

Altered Book Pages

Well, I didn't post a thing the whole month of December because of the holidays and family. I got to see my older sister and brother-in-law (I haven't seen them in two years!). I had a wonderful, quiet Christmas and New Year's was pretty good too. But, just because I haven't posted anything doesn't mean I haven't been busy. My dear sister brought me so many new crafting supplies and I have had so much fun experimenting with them.

One of the things my sister brought me was an old book. Now, what I've done is up-cycle the book! The following pictures are a few of the pages I have done over. Hope you like them and receive a blessing! :)

"Grow - It's finding out where you went wrong and correcting it."

"Child of God"

"Let us lay aside ever weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
 and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
Hebrews 12:1

To a Homeless Man - A Poem

I almost didn't post this because I felt so terrible about it. But I decided maybe someone would benefit from reading it. You know, in my last post I wrote a poem about compassion. Well, yesterday I found myself in a situation where I could have demonstrated compassion towards an individual........and I didn't. And now I feel terrible. The following poem is about that situation and is a type of sonnet with an a-b-c, a-b-c, d-d, a-e, a-e, a-e rhyme scheme.

To a Homeless Man 

I saw you yesterday at the stoplight. 

Your sign read 'Traveling and need supplies."

Your friend was sitting, his head bent down low,

I worried how you'd make it through the night. 

Your clothes were ragged, despair filled your eyes.

I wondered where you'd been and where you'd go.

What was your story? Why was there no home?

Why were you here now and why on the roam?

Your eyes locked with mine, my stomach curled tight.

Why did I always see men like you here?

Could you be a test for me to choose right?

Why then, suddenly, the shyness and fear?

Oh, how I regret with all of my might,

I looked away when heaven had drawn near. 

If you see someone in need of help today, don't give in to fear or excuses like I did. Please, help them out.

Portrait

This is a portrait I did of two of my friends. It was the first portrait that I had ever drawn and given to someone. I don't usually do portraits because they take me a long time- usually because I'm a bit lazy. I have six more I'm working on. :-) this portrait below took half a year to draw so who knows how long I'll be working on the others!

Compassion - A Poem

When I was in high school, I used to write poems almost every day. They seemed to flow from me. I would find inspiration for poetry in my friends, in nature, from my imagination, from pictures- everything would spark a poetic verse. But, after I finished high school I stopped writing poetry. Some things just weren't the same anymore and I lacked some of the inspiration that I previously had. Three and a half years later, and only a few days ago, I was rummaging through some of my keepsakes and found an old note somebody had written to me. "Never stop writing poems" it said.  This note inspired me to take up writing poetry again.

I searched on Google and came across a long list of different poetry types. After seeing the list, I challenged myself to write a poem for each style. Here is the first poem, an acrostic. I put it in my sketchbook and decorated it up a bit.

Here's the poem, in case you can't read it from the picture. 

Cheerfully laying aside

Our own selfishness and pride,

Making the things that we do

Pleasing and helpful and true. 

As we see another's need

Sympathy will take the lead.

Seeking to help and to care,

In love, their burdens we'll share.

Our virtues ever should be, 

Niceness, love and sympathy.