Bible Marginalia- Hear and Be Wise

Bible Marginalia Series-#250

                                   Proverbs 23:19
            Sometime when I read a section of Scripture-
                     I have to read it multiple times 
                      to find what "rises to the top"
                              for my attention.
                This week it was verse 19 in this chapter.
                      "Hear, my son, (and daughter)
                                    and be wise,
                       and direct your heart in the way."

                                           Be wise-

having or showing experience,

 knowledge, and good judgment.

Some days that just seems 

easier than others.

When I speak without clear thinking,

when I jump into a conversation

 without listening first,

when I give unwanted advice.

Time to go back 

and look at the direction of my heart.

Making sure the connections are in place for:

His leading, His guarding,

His whisper.

Supplies: 

Various tags and die cuts

Fine-point Sharpie pen

Zig memory writer pen

Colored pencils
Assorted Acrylic paint- Target

Boston Sightings

Last weekend we were blessed

 to participate in a PLI- 

Pastoral Leadership Institute-

 immersion program to learn more about 

missional leadership with a discipleship focus.

We met in Topsfield, MA.

 and then on Sunday took some time

 to explore a bit of downtown Boston.

Iconic- Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market,

and a lovely lunch at Boston Sail Loft.

 Cemeteries downtown are OLD.

Included were the grave of Paul Revere, and

 victims of the Boston Massacre.

On one side of  the Boston Commons

 is the famous-

CHEERS pub.

Cheers Beacon Hill is a bar/restuarant

located on Beacon Street 

in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Founded in 1969 as the Bull and Finch Pub, 

it is best remembered internationally 

as the exterior of the bar seen

 in the hit NBC sitcom Cheers, 

which ran between 1982 and 1993.

The show used the Bull and Finch exterior 

for the establishing shots of the namesake Cheers,

Fun to explore with our friends

 Edith and Greg Walton.

A bit of local flavor- 

Agawam Diner - for some local fare.
is a historic diner at 166 Newburyport Turnpike
om Rowley, Massachusetts. 
Manufactured in 1954, 
it was moved to this location in 1970
 after first being located in Ipswich. 
 It is the town's only diner, 
and one of only six 
in the state manufactured by the
Fodero Dining Car Company.
 It was listed on the
 National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Agawam-Diner

  15 Walnut-
a local's tavern
 had beautiful hydrangea in pots 

and peonies on the tables.
A great gathering spot.
15walnut

Sunday worship was at First Lutheran of Boston.
A beautiful traditional worship service.
An amazing organ blesses this site.
first lutheran of boston

The best part of the time in Massachusetts 

was being with friends- 

Edith and Carol and spouses.

Our husbands serve as

 District Presidents together in the LCMS.

We were blessed with the leadership 

of Jock and Gail Ficken 

who serve as the leaders for PLI.

Fun to learn from the young leaders in our District-

 Rev. Daniel and Jennifer Prugh from Midlothian, VA.

Also bringing encouragement 

was Rev. Nate Guelzow.

Lots to think about-

 and pray about for the Lord's leading-

 as we move forward 

in exploring discipleship models.

Living authentic, replicable lives,

in relationship with Jesus.

That is what it is ALL about. 

May Garden Walk

Tritoma- Red hot poker-
kniphofia-
all names for this regal bloom 
standing as herald

 on the west side of the house.

Spiderwort and the old wagon wheel

Cranesbill

Fairy rose and sedum

The Knock out roses out front 

beneath the crape myrtle

Meadow Rue 

clambering in the clematis

Purple Baptista

withe pink spirea 

and the honeysuckle on the fence

Campanula

Evening primrose-
oenothera
with the boxwood.

It has been wet and very rainy

here in Virginia.

Things are growing at jungle rate.

Trying to get ahead 

before the hot and humid days

 come for good.

Trimming bushes 

yielded an abandoned nest.

Always fun to see what turns up

 when we finally get to the yard in the spring.

A Day at Vintage Grace Studio

The English District- 
Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod 

came to visit Vintage Grace studio.

Sarah, Kathy and Wendy 

came in from Pittsburgh for the day.

Joanne Fink bags 

held the goodies from the day.

On this day we shared

 the journey of Keep the Faith projects.

Tried out some things with an 

introduction to Visual Prayer.

Spent some time 

with a variety of mediums and processes 

and Bible Journaling.

And WOW- 

what a fun thank you gift basket.

Can't wait to explore this!

Maybe time to spend

a day in the studio?

Bible Marginalia-Shepherd Guardian

Bible Marginalia Series- #249

A simple margin gathers

 the notes from a recent sermon
from John 10.

The Shepherd Guardian-

steps in to rescue me.

It is not a game

 to play with the "enemy",

and He brings abundant life.

He calls,

and as we listen-

there is voice recognition.

The Good Shepherd 

lays down His life for His sheep.

We have returned 

to the shepherd and overseer-

the guardian of our souls.

Supplies:

Printable margin

Colored pencil

Fine-point Sharpie marker
Large-Print ESV Crossways Bible

Bible Marginalia- Not Your Own Doing

Bible Marginalia Series- #248

Was looking at Ephesians 2:7-10 here.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing; 

it is the gift of God,

 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand,

that we should walk in them."

and then connecting that to John 8:32-

 "The Truth will set you free."

Important to remember 

that this walk of Visual Faith -

 is a Free Journey.

-not to compare our work with other's

- not a competition

- not a way of "earning" anything in God's favor

Important to remember

that this walk of Visual Faith-

is a Free Journey.

-a gift bestowed by God's grace and mercy

-part of God's IEP (individual education plan) 

for each of us

-that we might be a blessing to others.

Supplies:
 Pat Maier margin design 
Colored pencils
Washi tape

Bible Marginalia- Follow Me

Bible Marginalia Series- #247

Spending some time in my 
ESV Crossway Interleaved Bible.
It has a whole blank page in-between each page.
I have loved the song:
The Summons for a long time.
If there was a worship service
  or consecration service 
when Jesus called each of His disciples-
I think they would have sung this song.
Not sure exactly how I will use this Bible- 
but it always seems I have large pieces of things,
 especially bulletin or worship service covers
 that connect for me. 
 I want to save those God and world intersections.
A Bible with this much space 
just might be where I want to keep things together.

Supplies:
Target Acrylic paint
Always rub-on
Fine-point Sharpie non-bleeding
Black calligraphy pen
Distress ink

Mothering Daughter Mothers

 Mother's Day 2017-

 and still celebrating three daughters.

They are 30, 31, and 32.

They have blessed us

 with a growing bunch of boys.

The three youngest- all born in 2016.

A large part of the fun

 is sharing this journey with John.

Papa now is becoming Horde Manager.

Jessica and Jack.

Learning new tricks 

each and every day.

Laura with Griffin and Gordon.

Learning to share and be flexible.

Sara with Levi.

Learning to grab moments

 to capture small treasures.

 What could I have done 

differently to parent them well?

It's a long list.

Much went undone.

And still does.

But, in the cards received

 this year is an interesting word-

"sacrificial".

You just don't get this growing up- 

until you are a mother yourself.

You think you do-

but then you find out you were wrong.

Your rearranged life-

of giving up.

Your time, your space,

your first choices, 

your priorities.

Now, just a muddled, 

jumbled mess sometimes.

But, sacrificial giving--

 has rounded corners now,

and sighs and a sweet hug, 

and a cuddle.

And headed toward balls 

and trucks and trains.

So now-

in another phase of life-

mothering daughters who mother.

What a sweet gift and joy.

And I pray:

Heavenly Father,

 I give thanks that on this day,

 you have blessed our daughters 

with children of their own, 

for that is truly an amazing gift.

You have given them the ability to love well, 

love often, and love unconditionally. 

Jesus, thank you for modeling this for all of us.

 Cover all our parenting cues

 and miscues in grace.

Help us to put the best construction 

on everything.

Help us to give the give to our children

 of loving our spouses well.

Let us not take these good gifts for granted.

Help us to count them, each and every day.

One by one.

Two by two.

Three by three.

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

And just because you three girls are 

JUST AMAZING.

Go ahead and sing the song...

You know how it goes....

 Love, mom

Special thanks to Megan Schmitz
 for such beautiful photos.
Megan Schmitz Photo

A Morn in May

A Morn in May-
each year without fail-
I am reminded-
of a poem 
written, well now,
 forty-five years ago.
Well, OK, some years it is late April,
 and some years- early  June.

I can breathe in the fragrance

 of the peonies as if they were yesterday.

 A field washed in bloom......

and the words that captured 

that simple morning.
When you walked without real cares,
even though life seemed complex.
God is still giving out those warm sunwashed,
and yes, rainy days too- 
just so I can stack
 them in memory bank layers
for another year.

A Morn in May

I wander through the open field

Stepping softly, afraid to crush even one

Tiny petal or fragile bud that would yield

Tomorrow's flower. And then the sun

Moves from behind a cloud of cotton

Casting shadows and patterns on the earth.

I stop for a moment, for I'd forgotten

The simple things and their worth.

Each precious blossom, filled with life,

Stretches heavenward, seeking light.

Brilliant hues color the day. 

Leaving forever the trouble and strife

Lost in ageless death and night,

As I recall a morn in May.

For the sake of posterity-

this Sonnet published in:

Doin' our Thing- Norwell High School, Spring 1973

College Poetry Review, National Poetry Press,

Los Angeles, CA. Fall 1974

Anthology of Poetry, Sherman Oaks, CA- March 1975

 "Far to Go", Concordia Jr. College, 

Ann Arbor, Michigan- May 1975

Primatum Yearbook- Concordia Jr. College
Ann Arbor, Michigan. May 1975

Visual Faith Gathering- Northern Virginia

FaithArt 101was held

 on Saturday, May 6, 2017

 at New Hope Church in Lorton, Virginia.

65 women of all ages gathered to worship, 

learn about Visual Faith, and explore the topic of TRUST.

Director of Women's ministry - Karenna Rowenhorst 

and her retreat team did an awesome job 

of inviting area churches

 and welcoming all attendees.

I was blessed to present 

with artist Diane Marra-

who has mentored me

 in Visual Faith practices for the last nine years.

An opening devotion of Proverbs 3:1-8

shaped the framework for our day.

The morning was an overview 

of Keep the Faith and Visual Faith projects like:

Prayers for my Children, 

Counting Gifts and Prayers by the Month journals.

We then explored prayer roadblocks, 

Secret Code prayers, 

and praying Scripture.

Visual and Kinesthetic?

The makes sense for how many of us-

 connect and process.

New Hope sponsors 

her ministries for women:

honoring, equipping and rejoicing.

There was a Show and Tell 

table for sharing ideas.

A display table of Bible Verse Coloring books

 let you look through them 

and find one that would best suit you!

Then take a photo to remember 

the cover and author and order online.

There was also a table filled 

with resources for purchase

 from some of our favorite 

Visual Faith authors and practitioners:

 Lisa Hickman, 

Sybil MacBeth,

Shannon Noel, 

and Joanne Fink and Regina Yoder.

There were also some great door prizes

 and even a Journaling Bible give away. 

After a wonderful lunch and conversation, 

it was time to get messy  and dive

 into a study on TRUST-

led by Diane.

A flat canvas gave us a place for hidden journaling

 that was then covered with papers to collage.

  Once again - Proverbs 3:5-6.

TRUSTING- to spill our fears 

and say it all right there on the canvas.

 TRUSTING-

 when we can't see where we are going.

TRUSTING-

 when we are rushed 

and can't plan things out to perfection.

TRUSTING-

when we have never done this thing before.

TRUSTING-

that our Lord has "got this"-

 with the covered- up mess 

 on our canvas.

TRUSTING-

that my walk will look like no one else's-

and that's BEAUTIFUL.

Always something new to learn-

the Greek batach- means to hide for refuge.

Loving that image.

And maybe we will just be reminded

 that God wants us to live a more careless life-

that is- one without fear and no worry.

Not a bad take-away

 from our one day retreat.

A special thank you to all 

who took the time in busy schedules

 to live this one day TOGETHER.

Empty Nest

One of the things I always 

do after a wind swept storm

 is to walk around the yard 

and look for nests 

that have been tugged

 loose from their moorings.

Some years there are none 

are then the next year

 the yard offers up one or two.

It was the flash of gold 

that caught my eye and led me to this nest.

Woven and mostly hidden right 

into the nest is the thin strand of shimmer.

Some forgotten birthday bow 

escaped from a trash bin.

And then redeemed with leaves

 and tiny twigs to give 

nurture and protection to tiny baby birds.

Yes, that's what nests are-

the place where we grow and raise the youngun's

and breathlessly wait for them to fly.

Years ago, a favorite term

 in our home was to "make a nest".

I hear it now in the homes of my daughters.

 We talk about "empty" nests and quiet houses-

and young parents look at you

 with longing-yes- that's 

another world to them.

Maybe all we can do when

 we are on the "other side of nesting"

is to continue to give encouragement 

and remind parents to tie in the golden strands

 of living together in faith with their children.

The empty nest comes all too quickly

 and then we wait for them to return 

here and there for visits in the future.

And once again, our children 

can be reminded of golden strands of memory

 that breathe grace, forgiveness, and hope

 into their lives as young parents.

Duende

Duende-n. 

the mysterious power of art

to deeply move a person
I came across this word this week.
I had never seen it before.
It pretty much sums up the way
 this word describes 
what I see and feel about Christian art.

After worship today I took these photos
 of the art in the sanctuary of 
St. John's Lutheran Church
 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Duende is a Spanish word 
traditionally used in flamenco music 
or other art forms to refer to the mystical 
or powerful force given off 
by a performer to draw in the audience.

Seems like there is a whole lot
 to help us understand how Bible art-
 or journaling
 begins to have such a
moving force to our involvement.
It draws us in.
Alleluia.

Springtime Richmond

 Richmond Hill, Virginia 

is a beautiful spot in the Spring time.

 The Spiritual Life Team 

for the Southeastern District meets here twice a year.

 We pray over the called church workers, 

the laity, the neighborhoods, the staff 

and the congregations 

of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod.

 When it is time to take a "stretch"

 from our time of brainstorming 

and learning sessions-

I always rush outside.

 I have a routine here to check out the paths, 

the steps, the stacked stones, and ALL the flowers.

With iris and peonies and azaleas in full-bloom,

tha grounds become magical.

Jeremiah 29:7 is the theme verse
 for the community that lives 
and serves here at this Retreat Center.
Find out more about them here: 
Richmond Hill
 I give thanks for the team of people
 that I serve with 
and delight in 24 hours away 
to pray with each of them.