The simplified process to achieving your dreams

I had lunch with a friend last week, and she asked me about the process it took for me on this journey to my dreams. And while there is a lot to the process, I wanted to share the basics, because the truth is, achieving your dreams is a LOT easier than you think.

WHAT??

It's easy?

Believe it or not, your dreams are often closer than they appear. 

When we decided to embark on the dream house process, almost a year ago, I told my husband I thought it would take 2-3 years. He wanted to shorten the time, and I was like, okay, go for it. We still thought we'd be about a year out. But then, as I started researching the possibilities, the spark of what we could do kept coming alive, and before we knew it, we were living in our dream house. What started as a "maybe we can do it in 2-3 years" only took six months! Here is what it took:

Step one: Dream
That sounds really basic, but a lot of people are afraid to take a look at what they want in life, because they're afraid they won't get it. They're afraid they might be dreaming too big. Here's the crazy thing: oftentimes, what seems like a HUGE dream is completely do-able, if you're willing to make the effort.

Step two: Research the Dream
Now this also sounds basic, but it's amazing to me to see how many "impossible" dreams were actually possible with little to no effort. For example, last year, we went on our dream vacation to England. We'd wanted to go for years, but thought there was no way we could do it. When we were planning a trip, we had a few locations in mind, and for curiosity's sake, I looked up how much flights to England were. Whoa!! Yes, it was expensive, but as I looked at our budget and what we wanted to do, I realized that it cost almost the same as another trip we'd been looking at. What seemed to be impossible actually was closer than I thought.

Step three: Focus on the Dream
How often do you focus on your dreams? I have a dream notebook I look at every day, reminding me of my dream, and allowing me to clarify what I want out of life. In that notebook, I have several letters to myself, where I talk about my vision, written in the future tense, expressing gratitude for having reached those goals. I read those letters to myself every day, not only reminding myself of the dream itself, but also of the why.

Here is a video I did today on Periscope showing my dream notebook.



Step four: Plan the Dream
You've researched, you've focused, but you also need to come up with a plan. For example, how much does your dream cost? Have you broken down how much extra money you'd need to make that dream come true? Have you created a plan for how you'll come up with that money? What if all you needed was an extra $50 per month? Or just one hour per week? I'm always amazed at how, when you break down the dream, and start making a plan, how much more do-able it is.

Step five: Move in the direction of the Dream
Sometimes the cost of the dream is more than anything you can see. My ultimate dream, when it comes to my writing retreat, is that I would have a retreat center in the mountains, where people could come and be refreshed. I figure that building the retreat center I want is going to cost at least a million dollars. Sounds pretty hard, right? But I am starting small, and I'm hosting a retreat at a hotel as a first step. Then I'll host more retreats, and find even cooler places to go. And with each step, I'm building a foundation to create a retreat center that it going to nourish so many people. Yes, it's going to be work. And no, it won't happen tomorrow. But it's going to happen, and it's going to be wonderful. Even though it's still a long way off, it's a lot closer than it was when I sat around, talking about how cool it would be with no real movement in that direction.

What's your dream? Have you thought about how you're going to reach it?

10 things that make you AWESOME!!

Well, okay, I'll admit right off the bat that I have no clue what makes you awesome. Well, maybe. Some of you, who I know personally, I could come up with a list. But the rest of you... I'm just going to assume. Because the fact is, we all have things that make us awesome, but we don't always claim it.

Why don't we claim it? Well, there are a lot of reasons, and I know for me, a lot of it goes back to childhood wounds where people mocked me for claiming my awesomeness. I was bullied and treated really badly by a lot of people, so it was easier to shrink and hide from the meanness that seemed to inevitably follow. But you know, the more we keep hiding our awesomeness, the more we let the bullies win. They drag us down, and keep us down, and if you think about it, they don't do it because we're not worthy of our awesomeness, but because they aren't. Our awesomeness threatens them, because they bought into the belief that if someone else is awesome, they can't be awesome too.

Which is a big, fat lie.

Here is the truth about being awesome. I am awesome. You are awesome. And your awesomeness in no way diminishes mine. My awesomeness does not diminish yours. In fact, if we both allow ourselves to be awesome together, in recognition of our mutual awesomeness, we make the world a better, more awesome place. We give all the people out there, hiding their awesomeness, permission to shine.

I did a great video on Periscope today, about the fear of putting yourself out there. Friends, I wish I could tell you that I am not afraid. But the truth is, I'm a big old chicken. Maybe that's why I love my chickens so much. I can totally relate to them. If you're not on Periscope, you should follow me and watch my scopes. Why? Because they're awesome! Anyway, in that video, I gave people a challenge to come up with ten things that make them awesome. I promised that I'd do it, too. Now, I did say I'd do it within the hour, but then I got inspired to do it as an art journal project with Princess, and I had to wait for the paint to dry, so it took a bit longer. But I am keeping my commitment to my viewers, to my friends, and to myself... the picture you see is the picture I made proclaiming my awesomeness to the world!

And, in case you can't read it, here is my list: Ten things that make me awesome!
1. I make mistakes, and that's okay! (I messed up the lettering in my art, and it's okay!)
2. I am a good mom.
3. I love chickens.
4. I like to help people.
5. I am a good writer.
6. I am creative.
7. I am a nature lover (as long as it's not in my house!).
8. I love to travel.
9. I like to learn new things.
10. I am resilient!

So here's my challenge for you. What makes you awesome? Make a list of your ten things. If you're not brave enough to share them all on my blog, share your favorite. Whether you admit it here or not, you are awesome. I don't know all the things that make you awesome, but I know they're there. So share! Let's be awesome together, and make the world a more awesome place!

Good intentions gone wrong, and it's okay!

Happy August! In case you're comparing dates between posts, then yes, it HAS been a long time since I've posted, and that's okay! In fact, "it's okay," is the theme of today's blog, and I write mostly to comfort those of you in the same position I'm in. You had a lot of really good intentions, they didn't pan out, and now you're looking at where you'd hoped to be wondering how you got so far off track.

If you don't follow me on social media, let me catch you up. What? You don't follow me on social media? Please, rectify the situation as soon as possible.

Here are a few happy places to find me:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor

  

Oh wait, I just got sidetracked! And that, my friends, is exactly what 2015 has held for me. Sort of. You see, a year ago, I had the grandiose idea that since we've always dreamed of living in the mountains, we should start taking the steps to living that dream. I had plans for 2015, and none of them involved selling our house, buying a fixer upper in the mountains, moving, and living in an incredibly beautiful space in a tiny house! That, my friends, was supposed to happen in 2016 or 2017. Now, before you think I am complaining, let me assure you that I am incredibly happy with our situation. But so many of my other plans, they did not happen, and that's okay!

I had a lot of really great intentions with this move, and prior to the move, and they all kind of went by the wayside. To be honest, I've really been beating myself up over my failure to do EVERYTHING I'd planned. I thought about giving you a list, but then I realized it would only serve to bring up my stress meter. What I realized is that be thinking about everything I didn't do, I was paralyzing myself from doing all the things I can do, right now!

And that's the relevant point today. I think we all go through seasons of paralysis because we realized that we bit off more than we can chew, and we have no idea how to get back to normal. I watched my plate get bigger and bigger, and kept wondering how I was going to eat it all. But here's the great thing about your plate of life. It's YOUR plate. You get to decide what's on it, and if you put too much on it, you can empty it off. In my case, I decided that the date of January 1, 2015 is a completely arbitrary (although somewhat convenient) way of determining what will and won't happen in our lives. So I hit the reset button. And now, I'm saying that all the things I intended to do, it's okay that I didn't do *cough* many of them.

But here's what happens AFTER you hit the reset button. You sit down and think about your priorities. Moving forward, what do you want to do? It doesn't matter what you didn't accomplish. What matters is, looking at tomorrow, what can you accomplish?

So here I am, blogging about stuff I didn't intend to blog about, because it was never on the plan. But you know, it's okay. My plan changed this year. And I lovingly accept that in myself. I hope, that whatever plan you got off track from, that you can lovingly say, "it's okay." Because it is.

I did a piece in my art journal today, and I started with one intention, but it became something else. Interesting, since that seems to be the theme of my life. The funny thing is, I love what I did in my art journal far more than what I'd originally planned. Sometimes, letting go and accepting where life takes you instead of drowning in disappointment can bring you to a beautiful place.

How have you dealt with being sidetracked in life? Is there one thing you can do right now to get back on track?

Anatomy of a Bible art journal page

A lot of people ask me about my art journaling practice, especially as it relates to my Bible reading. I’ve always been the sort of person who likes to write in my Bible. I like to highlight passages that mean a lot to me, and I like to write notes in the margins. However, when I discovered art journaling, I found that I had a new avenue for worshipping God.

Have you ever read something in your Bible that made you so thankful to God? Something that made you want to worship God in a deeper way? Art journaling gives me the ability to have that deeper worship.

When I read something impactful in my Bible, I love being able to respond in a creative way. More importantly, I love being able to have that worship written right in my Bible. It’s a wonderful experience to thumb through my Bible and remember all the beautiful moments I’ve shared with God. Having the colors and images pop out at me bring back the experience in much fuller detail than if I’d simply underlined a passage. More importantly, the time I take to create the art in my Bible has me meditating on that piece of Scripture longer. Rather than highlighting and moving on, I spend a lot more time, doodling and soaking it in.

As an example of how my process works, I’m going to take you through the creation of one of my pages. I have a daily reading plan (which, in all fairness, does not always happen daily!) and I try to follow it as best as I can. The day I created this page, my reading was Psalm 136.

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is, “give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” It’s mentioned several times in the Bible, and I even have a little tune I mentally sing this phrase to, because it’s such a beautiful reminder of God’s love. As I read this Psalm, even though I have probably read it dozens of times, I realized that every other line was my favorite phrase. With one exception. The word “steadfast” is added.

I couldn’t stop thinking about that addition to the phrase. To me, steadfast love is a much more powerful image than plain old love. I ended up highlighting the entire Psalm. When I have something that hits me that powerfully, that’s when I pull out my colorful pens and journal. I go through different phases with my Bible art journal, and I love word art. I wrote the phrase I loved and made it pretty and colorful.

Then, because the word “steadfast” was so important to me in this time, I looked it up, and I wrote definitions of it in the margin. I thought about each definition and how it fit God’s love. Finally, at the bottom, I wrote two summaries of what that time had meant to me. What I wanted to remember.

Don’t take this as a “this is how you should always do it” bible art journal guide. Each entry in my Bible has a different component, or a different order. Sometimes, I skip the full reading plan, because just one verse sticks out to me in a powerful way. What remains the same and consistent through each one, is that it was done in response when I felt a particular reading speak to me. My art journaling Bible isn’t perfect. You’ll find mistakes, splotches, smudges, and other weird things. But I think it’s beautiful to God, who sees my response to him and loves it.

If you’re thinking about trying art journaling, or even putting some art in your Bible, I highly encourage you to do so.

It’s really wonderful to have these mementos of my time with God. You can purchase a journaling Bible or a notetaking Bible so you have more room to make art than you would with a regular Bible. I use the ESV journaling Bible by Crossway. Pen-wise, for this page, I used some glitter gel pens from the Write Dudes. Basically, the ones you get at Target. Nothing fancy you have to buy at an art supply store. I also used a regular pen for the rest. Other pages, I’ve used colored pencils, watercolors, and Sharpies (which bleed).

Do you art journal in your Bible? What tools do you use? I’d love to hear about your process. And if you don’t art journal in your Bible, but want to try it, let me know that too!

December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 31

We did it!! Thirty one days of getting our art journal on! I am having a celebration over here, let me tell you! I have really needed this creative jumpstart in my life, and I'm SO THANKFUL that I did this challenge. Having a creative outlet gives me a way of dealing with all the crazy in my world, and trust me, it has been CRA-ZY. Add on being thankful, and you know, it's been a pretty great month.

I hope this has given you a taste of what both art journaling and a little gratitude can do for you. Or maybe you haven't yet tried it, but it's given you a taste of what it's done for me. Seriously, I usually spend this time of year in a fetal position wondering why my life is so insane. I'd show you my last year's art journal proving it, but guess what? I tend to skip that activity when times get tough. Wrong answer.

When life is at its most crazy, that is when you most need to take time to slow down, and do something like art journal.

We always have the excuse of being too busy or not having time, but the truth is, without something to give us pause or rest, it's never going to get better. We wait for the perfect moment, or when things slow down, and I'm finding that it never happens. Every stage at which I think my life will get better or easier, it turns out that the old crazy just turns into a new crazy. Make the time now.

If you didn't start the art journal challenge on day one, that's okay. Go back and do it. Start wherever you are, wherever you want. As I said in the introduction, I purposely chose the notecards to make it easy and do-able. You saw how some of my entries were hasty and scribbled. Some took more time. But all of them gave me a much-needed injection of sanity in my otherwise crazy life.

If you've been with me this whole time, congratulations!! You made a great start on an art journal. Now you have 19 more pages to fill with stuff. A cover to decorate. The possibilities are endless, so make the most of them! Fill up that book!

I don't have a clever transition, and as I've said before, it happens, and that's okay. If you've learned anything from reading these blogs, you'll know that my space is a very grace-filled space, and I'm sharing it with you.

Today's art journal challenge is: Your favorite moment of the past year

Here is my journal entry:
"I am so thankful for this year! 2014 was such a magical year for me. So many wonderful things happened, and a lot of my dreams came true. But I will pick a moment- holding my first book. I've worked so hard and waiting so long, it was a thrill. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Can you pick a favorite moment this past year to be thankful for?

 

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 30

Here we are at today's art journal challenge, and this is where I realized that my originality was flagging. I started drawing a dollar bill to symbolize the money in my wallet, and then I remembered I'd already drawn a dollar bill. But you know, it's not about being the most creative or original, and my picture still ended up being different. So if you think this looks similar to something I've already done, you can check out Day 11. There, I even gave you the cheat. :)

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the perfectionism of coming up with good ideas, or new ideas, that we get stuck and don't move forward. And that's not okay. Let whatever needs to come out, come out. And if it's a dumb idea, or ugly, or a repeat, or even (as I think this one is) a less good version of something you've already done, so what?

Your art journal is a place to let it all out.

Don't let that stuff stay stuck inside you. If what you want to express is something you've already expressed before, express it. The new ideas, the pretty ideas, the things you wish you could say or do, they aren't going to come until you get all the other junk out of the way. The best thing about your art journal is that it is a place where you can freely express yourself without worrying about the censor.

Even with the topic, I was tempted to find something more interesting or more spiritual to post about, but you know what? I really am grateful for the money in my wallet. I mentioned a couple days ago that sometimes you have to censor yourself publicly in the interest of not offending people. But sometimes, you also have to be willing to just be you.

Today's art journal challenge is something in your wallet.

Here is my entry:

"I am so thankful for all the cash I have in my wallet. I usually don't carry cash, but lately I have been, and it makes me feel really happy to have cash. I don't know why, but I like it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

To quote a commercial, "What's in your wallet?"

 

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 29

This is the point at which I admit to not knowing the day of the week or date when my kids are not in school. If they're not around to remind of the passing of the days, I get lost in my own little world and forget. I guess that's not really a bad thing, unless, of course, you're committed to doing things on a certain day- like posting your art journal. Usually I'm not a fan of having my kids on break because they are always SO BORED. Well, not they. Just Princess.

But this break, she's been doing all kinds of projects, and because her sister has been sick, she and I have had a lot of one on one time together. She likes doing art journal projects with me, and we're always finding fun things to do together. Or, I'll sit and work, and she'll find a project to do. My supply area is a mess largely because she's always getting in there and playing. Part of me hates the disorder, but part of me loves being able to create with my daughter.

One of the things I really love about this art journal challenge is that I CAN do it with my kids.

If you haven't watched my introductory video to this art journal challenge, I encourage you to do so! You'll see Princess helping me out.

[embed]https://vimeo.com/113168872[/embed]

Today's  art journal topic is: A Family Member

I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that I wrote about Princess. I printed out a picture and glued it in, nothing fancy, but it still holds a special place in my heart.

Here is my entry:
"I am so thankful for my sweet little princess. We've had precious time this past month, and I have really been focused on enjoying her. She has such a good heart, and it warms mine to be her mommy. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Your turn: Share about a family member you're thankful for!

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 28

And here we are, Day 28, actually on Day 28. Wahoo!! I'm caught up! I've signed up for tons of art journal challenges and classes over the years, and I seem to struggle getting through it and making it to the end. So to be on day 28 ON day 28 is something of a Christmas miracle for me! That, and I think the accountability of having publicly said that I'll do it is a big help!

Today I moved away from the idea of having Christmas theme, because I know some people are already sick of Christmas. Me, I've had such a great Christmas season that I don't mind it so much. I kind of like going up to bed at night and seeing my Christmas tree lit up. It keeps me from tripping over stuff. ;)

The other reason I think I'm not sick of Christmas stuff is how deliberate I've been about being thankful this season, rather than being focused on the other junk. You know, like the fact that all you want is a gallon of milk and you have to circle the parking lot twenty times to find a spot.

I've done a lot of things differently this season, but having my art journal has really helped.

Every evening, before bed, I do a number of little things to bring my center back to what's important to me, what really matters. Spending time with my art journal is part of it. I know that some people do it first thing in the morning, but I still can't get into the habit of waking up early.  Plus, it's easier during a busy time for me to stay up late, especially when it's in a life-giving activity like working in my art journal.

Yeah, so this is the part where I admit to having written and re-written the rest of this entry, so I'll just cut to the chase. No neat and tidy lead-ins, just the bare truth. Today's entry is a little raw, mostly because it forced me to look at the fact that this is probably my dog's last Christmas with us. I didn't want to be depressing, but there it is. He's fifteen, diabetic, has mobility issues, and can't control his potty behaviors.

Today's art journal topic is: An animal.

Here is my entry:
"I am thankful for my dog. He's really old and I know our time with him is really short. I have to remember how thankful I am for him and his "presents" remind me of him of his presence- he is still here. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Your turn: Share about an animal you are thankful for.

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 27

Ah, here we are at Day 27. Ignore the time stamp on my post if you are OCD. :) I generally tend to be pretty detail oriented, but as you can see from my picture and the corresponding note about the dates, mine are mixed up in my art journal. Oops. Sadly, I mixed up what day of the week it was, and totally forgot about the date. That's what holidays do to a person, and I'm kind of okay with that. It's been a relaxing holiday for us and very low-pressure.

Speaking of low-pressure, I hate to point out my own hideousness, but that picture is supposed to be a thumbs-down. I tried a couple of times to get it right, and that was the best I could do. Being creative is not for the faint of heart, and usually, this is the time when I'd slap a bunch of gesso in my art journal, start over, and call it good. Or, as a friend told me she sometimes does, glue the page together and pretend it never happened.

But for the purposes of this exercise, I want you all to see that you don't have to be perfect to start an art journal.

Sometimes we're paralyzed by the demands of perfection, and the need to get it right. That need sometimes stifles us, and sometimes, it's okay to let things be what they are. I don't share any of this because I'm a great artist, rather, I share my art journal because there's something beautiful that happens in my mind, body, and soul when I make art. I want to share that process with you.

I want you to know the same freedom I found with letting things be imperfect.

Of course, being vulnerable and sharing authentically isn't without its drawbacks, and there are times when I have to say that I didn't totally let loose in my art journal. I think this entry is perhaps the most interesting simply because of the dichotomy between the imperfection of my ugly art, and the fact that I totally wasn't real with my entry. The trouble with being yourself in public is that sometimes, especially when you have a tendency to be "delightfully unfiltered" as my friend John Olson labeled me, you do have to occasionally put a filter on to avoid hurting people's feelings.

Today was one of those days. It's bad form to put on the World Wide Web that never sleeps, goes away, or forgets, that Great-Aunt Prudie's hand-knitted nose muffler was not a cherished gift. So sadly, I can't share what my least favorite gift was, or who gave it to me, but for the record, as far as I know, I do not have a Great-Aunt Prudie.

Today's art journal topic is your least favorite gift.

Here is my journal entry:
"I am so thankful for my least favorite gift. Even though it was not something I loved or would have chosen for myself, I know the person who bought it for me thought I would. Thank you for that person's kindness. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

How can you be thankful for your least favorite gift?

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 26

Well, here is another embarrassed post about being behind on my art journal posts. But I think that's why I told you to begin with that you should sign up for my newsletter and get the calendar. And, this is why I made it an easy challenge, with an easy journal for this busy month. The good news is that I've kept up on my art journal at home- I just didn't manage to find time to blog about it. Such is my life. So here I am, catching up on life, and okay, I'm procrastinating on finishing cleaning my office, setting goals, and a few other work things. So why not get those posts done, right?

I know, I'm terrible, but truthfully, my messy office has kept me from a lot of creative activity lately. I don't know why, but it seems like when my office is a mess, it's hard for me to think and be creative. My art journal supplies are scattered in weird places, and it's hard to create when you don't know where stuff is! It made me downright giddy to find the missing lid to one of my pens. It's the small things, I know.

Which is why, in doing this particular challenge, I focused more on the small things as well. So many times at the holidays, we focus on giving that big fancy gift. And you know, those gifts are all good and well. I've done a few of those. But this year, I gave a lot of small but thoughtful gifts. And the crazy thing is, I've never seen my kids happier about their presents.

Today's art journal challenge is: The best gift you gave

For today's art journal, I took a piece of wrapping paper I liked (from a gift hubby received) and glued it down to my page. Then I did a few doodles to make it look pretty. Not a lot of work or talent involved there, and again, I like to point out stuff like that because I want you to know how easy it is for you to jump in and do it yourself! Creativity is like any other muscle, the more you use it, the better you get.

Here is my entry for today(ish):

"The best gift I gave was that everyone in the family got warm fuzzy blankets to cuddle up in. It was so nice seeing everyone so happy and warm. Everyone has been wanting new blankets for a while, and I'm so thankful we could do it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

What was the best gift you gave this year?

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 25

Merry Christmas! I'm a day late on the December Thanksgiving art journal challenge, but I hope with the holidays, you understand. :) And, to be perfectly honest, I didn't know what to write about or put in my art journal. I know, that sounds like a cop-out, but the truth is, I wanted to put in too much! I feel like I am overflowing with blessings, and I'm so filled with gratitude that it's hard for me to express all of the things I want to express. Every time I think I have it all nailed down, I realize that there is so much more to be thankful for.

I think the greatest gift of creative activity is that we get to adapt things to suit our needs. You may have noticed that I've done it several times with this challenge, so it should come as no surprise that I've done it here again.

Today's art journal challenge is: The best gift you've received.

Here is my art journal entry:
"I am so thankful for all the gifts I have received. I wish I could pick one, but I can't. It seems like the more I think about all the blessings I've received, the more precious each and every one is to me. I am so blessed. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Take some time in your art journal today to express your thanks for the best gift you've received.

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 24

Merry Christmas!! It's still Christmas Eve at my house, and I'm sitting in my office, listening to Christmas music, and enjoying the peace of the evening. All this mommy wanted for Christmas was a clean house, and I sort of got it. I tried, but we have a bathroom under construction, so hubby was too busy with that to help me. I'd rather a working toilet in that bathroom, so I think I'll give him a pass. :)

After spending the day cleaning (I know, so glamorous!) and working on house projects, we went to Christmas Eve service, then came home, did some cooking, and then had some yummy appetizers. After dinner, we played games as a family. Not the most exciting night, but for my little one, it was her Christmas dream come true.

In a way, I think Christmas is about dreams coming true. For years, the Jews had longed for the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus fulfilled that dream. He didn't come in the way people thought he would, and I wonder if that's like a lot of our dreams. I know none of mine have happened the way I thought they would.

Today's art journal challenge is a symbol of the season.

There are so many lovely symbols of the season, and as I sat in church tonight, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of it all. Ultimately, when I sat down to do my art journal, my shallow, pretty shiny need won out. I am talking, of course, about my silver and gold sharpies. I seriously love my sharpies. And whenever I get an excuse to whip out the silver and gold ones, I go to town. Which meant I had to choose the symbol that most readily allowed me to play with my pretty shiny pens.

But that's okay, because I think the star is just one more example of things not happening the way people thought they would. No fireworks or loud trumpets. Just a beautiful star, which, from a human perspective, especially back then, is nothing spectacular. But if you know anything about stars, and you see the pictures of stars up close, they're absolutely amazing. I imagine that the star God chose to herald Jesus's birth was breathtaking.

Here is my entry for today:
"I am so thankful for the star as a symbol of the season. I love the comfort of knowing that God gave such a wonderful, easy to follow sign. For me the star is a sign that we are not alone. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

What symbol of the season is meaningful to you?

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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December Thanksgiving Art Journal Challenge Day 23

Ah, the busy season of the holidays. I've been pretty good about being prepared, but, as always seems to happen, I got caught up in some last minute things for the holiday. Even though it was less stressful than anticipated, I'm not fond of crowds, so having to be out in the middle of them wasn't my idea of fun. I did find that people were much friendlier than anticipated, so it was a nice surprise.

However, after my stressful day, just as I was getting ready to eat dinner, I realized that we'd almost forgotten our dance lesson. So away we went, getting to the studio just in time. Last spring, hubby finally agreed to my dream of taking dance lessons. Years ago, before we were married, I'd go out swing dancing with friends. It was so much fun. But hubby didn't know how to dance and wasn't a very good dancer, so I gave it up. But all these years, I've really missed dancing.

At first, hubby tolerated it because it made me so happy. But now, he really has fun with it too. So when we went to our lesson tonight, it was a much needed stress reliever. And, it got my heart pumping in a good way, a nice way to burn off all the holiday calories and make me feel good.

I'm not a fan of exercise, and to be honest, I don't like the feeling of getting my heart rate going. But when I dance... ah, now that makes me feel good. I even forget how much I hate to sweat!

Today's art journal challenge is your heartbeat.

And let me tell you, as much as we don't think about our heartbeat, it's definitely something to be thankful for. Well, okay, you knew that. But how often do we express thanks for our heartbeat? Tonight I was very much reminded it was there after some great dances.

Here is today's art journal entry:
"I am so thankful for my heartbeat. It's one of those things that's always there for us that we never think about- how miraculous it is to have something so essential to life be automatic. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Take the time to express your thanks for your heartbeat today!

 

I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.

And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

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