Petals of Friendship

Today was the last session of my collage class.  It has been a gift to be in Laura's class ( lonecrowart.blogspot.com/ ) and the bonus of it all was to create and work with other women who love collage.  Each student in the class has been an inspiration to me.  I really admire the artwork everyone creates.  Laura really pulls us into the creative process and I love that and need that!  The piece I created is from our last two sessions.  I call it "Layers."  Over the years, I've been trying to grow up and out.  I've often been told that the process is much like the peeling off of layers of an oinion.  Layers that cover up who we are, our hurts or the broken places in our lives.  The collage process is the opposite of this.  In collage, we build through layering.  I am finding that the layers help to reveal who I am.  I found a common bond with many of the women in the class.  We all have a yearning to br...

While working on a project in an art class, a sharp sting on my finger made me stop in my tracks. I knew instantly that a sliver just broke through the skin on my finger. It was just a tiny piece of wood, barely visible, but boy did it hurt! I tried to remove it, hoping I’d get the entire piece out but no luck. There was a small part of it still under my skin, and I couldn’t do anything about it until I would be home later in the day. Interestingly, I was able to proceed with my project, and I actually forgot about it. Later in the day, I brushed my hand against my jeans, and the pain from the sliver came back. I was quickly reminded that something wasn’t right. That’s how sin is in our lives. It’s so apparent to me when I am not in sync with God. Instantly, the Holy Spirit elbows me and lets me know that I stepped out of line. The conviction, while gentle, is painful. It’s also interesting to see how I can forget about my sin and just go about my business as if nothing is amiss. But t...