Mindset Monday – Start Somewhere

Start somewhere. This is probably the best advice I ever have to offer, and it seems like the best place to “get back on the horse” with the blog.

I know I’m not alone as a person who gets overwhelmed by all the things that end up on my to-do list. Sometimes that’s a self-inflicted wound because I take on too much. Sometimes it’s an uphill battle against perfectionism and depression.

When things feel too big to even be possible, I just start somewhere. There’s the old saying that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, or the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Pick your favorite metaphor, and just start small.

The elephant I’m probably struggling with the most right now is decluttering, so I’ve been applying the “start somewhere” motto to it. It’s not fast work for me, but every time I walk into a mess, I just pick a spot and start working from there. If that even feels too big, I set a timer for 15 minutes and give myself permission to take a break if I work through the timer.

Whatever elephant you’re trying to eat, I have no shortcuts for the actual work. But I do know that the only way to tackle it is to start somewhere and just work through each step as it comes. I know that makes it sound very simple, but simple doesn’t always mean easy. Sometimes simple is ridiculously hard, and that’s okay. Most of the time the hardest part of the work is just getting started.

Here’s a crappy drawing of an elephant with a fork ready to get to work.

WIP Wednesday 7/7/21

It’s been a while since I’ve been motivated to write or sketch, and that same slump has been creeping into my prayer and Bible study habits.

I decided to get back to using colored pencils during my prayer time this week, and doodling made for such a lovely time of meditating and listening. It’s easy to skip over being still and quiet as a part of prayer. For me, writing out a prayer helps me focus more intentionally, and then sketching quiets my thoughts while I wait and listen.

What’s your favorite way to pray?

WIP Wednesday

The last month or so has been a bit of a dry season for me, and I have been in need of some doodling therapy.

I love Johanna Basford’s coloring books and tutorials, and she’s a lovely person to watch for inspiration. A simple flower wreath seemed like a great way to lighten up a page and the current funk in my brain. Check out Johanna’s site here. You can even get a free coloring book download if you sign up for her emails (which are wonderful).

What are you working on?

The Art of Lent – Day 34, Saturday

And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Hebrews 10:18 NLT

Write this verse out several times. You may want to play with the font and create a lettering design, but spend time writing this verse over and over. Let your fingers work through this thought as you meditate on the verse today.

The Art of Lent – Day 33, Friday

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

John 10:14-16 NLT

Write a paragraph or two to describe Jesus as the good shepherd from a sheep’s perspective. What does the sheep know about Jesus from following his lead? What characteristics does the sheep appreciate about Jesus? What makes Jesus such a good shepherd compared to other shepherds?

The Art of Lent – Day 32, Thursday

This is what the Lord says – the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Jeremiah 33:2-3 NLT

“Go ahead, ask me.” God repeatedly tells his people to ask, and he will give us incredible things when our hearts are in tune with his: knowledge, wisdom, daily bread, grace, the desires of our hearts… What do you want to ask God? What remarkable things would you like to learn? Write down five “interview” questions you have for God.

The Art of Lent – Day 31, Wednesday

One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”
Jesus responded, “Do wedding quests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Luke 5:33-35 NLT

Jesus is the bridegroom of the church, and in this passage, he alludes to his role as the groom. While Jesus was present with his disciples, they didn’t fast; they celebrated his presence. When we are in the presence of Jesus at the wedding feast of the Lamb, we will no longer fast. Imagine what the feast table will look like, and write a paragraph or two to describe the scene.

The Art of Lent – Day 30, Tuesday

Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear. For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

Revelation 19:7-8 NLT

We the Church are the bride of Christ, and the bride’s dress at the wedding feast of the Lamb is made of pure white linen that represents the good deeds of the church. Draw a dress that you imagine the bride of Christ would be wearing on the wedding day. How would you represent the good deeds done by the church?

The Art of Lent – Day 29, Monday

Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Psalm 141:2 NLT

Our prayer is an offering to God. As you pray today, draw an incense censer, and fill it with some key words from your prayers. While you pray over those things, draw the smoke of the incense coming up from each request as a symbol of them rising to God.