Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Yesterday was my birthday and Seth handed me a birthday postcard first thing in the morning with a photo of Dianna Ross and the Supremes on it. He wrote "I love you" on the back. Such joy!

My mom wanted to take Seth and me out for lunch, so we drove to Midland. We played 20 Questions all the way there and back which made the time fly! We ate chicken fajitas at Qdoba's which were delicious! Mom was in good spirits.

When we got home Roger had a lovely card written to me and took me out to the Mapleleaf Inn downtown for a Rueben sandwich. The server was a man in his 50's wearing a feed cap and a salt and pepper beard. He was anxious to please. He got the cook to make a cinnamon fritter for me and scrounged up a candle so I could make a wish.

It was a lovely birthday!

This morning I found over 40 happy birthday wishes on my facebook page which was a huge surprise! Seth didn't think I would remember to thank people, so he made a thank you message for me! Of course I had to write my own as well.

We got good news from the Dr. about Seth's medical tests and that is the best birthday gift a mom could ever want.

Love, Sue

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Christmas morning was magical! Seth got a look of surprise and gratitude on his face when he opened the humble gifts he requested for Christmas. It reminded me of when he was 7 years old and the Easter bunny brought him a live baby rabbit for Easter. I love it when I get such precious moments to store away in my memory!

Love, Sue

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries!

A week ago, Seth had a snow day and he got up out of bed to play fox and geese with me!!! Of course, I was always "it!" He's impossible to catch.

Then we decorated the tree and house for Christmas to the tunes on Nat King Cole's Christmas album.

As a finale, we baked Scottish shortbread and ate it while it was still warm from the oven. YUM!

I love being a mom!!!!

Love, Sue

Wonderful Son

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Seth had surgery and when he came out of the recovery room I asked him how he was doing. He responded, "Fine. How are you doing?"

I told him how impressed I was that he asked me that and he said, "Well usually the one having surgery is better off than the one waiting for the one having surgery."

I said, "How do you know that? You are only 14 years old?"

He replied, "Well it's true isn't it?"

I am proud of our extraordinarily insightful and caring son!

Love, Sue

New Baby

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Our granddaugher, Brianna, was born yesterday by C-section. She's especially pretty, because she didn't get squished in the birth process. Her head is so nice and round and her cheeks are fat and beautiful. Our daughter-in-law is doing well, even able to get up and around last night. We were a little apprehensive because she is 39, but she was a real trooper and came through it beautifully.

Brianna protested loudly for a long time with her Trowbridge temper, because she wasn't ready to be on the outside yet. She was two days overdue, but this was a scheduled birth with no labor, broken water etc.. I think she wanted to enjoy a few more days of swimming around inside of her mom's tummy.

I can imagine that her mom was ready to have her be born though!

Brianna is learning early that one does not always get her way!

Love, Sue

Sunday in October

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

It was 70 degrees this afternoon, so Roger and I took our puppy for a walk. We still have some beautiful yellow leaves in the trees in our village and a few twilled to the ground in the gentle breeze. Our pup staulked and pounced on them as if they were his personal prey along our journey.

It brought back happy memories of walking with our son when he was a toddler. He had to stop and gather every leaf, pebble, twig, flower and bug to put in the back of his wagon between our house and the library.

This is how Sundays are supposed to be, leisurely days to spend with loved ones, savoring each precious moment and remembering happy times from the past.

Love, Sue

Images of October

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

This October I have been painting on site at two Amish farms. What a blessing! The first farm is owned by a man who is recently widowed. He wept and said, "You never know what you have until it's gone." He welcomed me and brought his cows closer by spreading hay on the other side of the fence, then calling to the cows in German. They came running with their udders swinging from side to side. I wonder if they understand English?

The other farm is owned by a family with six children. The oldest is in sixth grade and the youngest is two. There are 5 boys and one girl. The kids love to watch me paint and when I drive up in my car, all six kids come running, to my great delight. They are very curious and polite. They explain their way of life to me and in return I teach them about oil painting.

I am grateful to be an artist in October in beautiful Maple Valley surrounded by wonderful people.

Love, Sue

Puppy Wonder

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Walking the puppy is fun because he is fascinated by everything. We were on a dirt road in between bean fields when some Canada Geese flew overhead honking as loudly. The pup stopped trotting, sat down and watched them fly past.

He doesn't know what to think about geese and barking dogs. But he is very clear about cigarette packages. They are treasures to be carried for as long as possible, until something stinkier (like road kill) attracts his attention.

His favorite though is a person on foot who crosses our path. Then the tail goes into hyper drive and he strains at the end of the leash until he can get within petting range. He winds his leash around their legs if I let him, rubbing his head against their feet.

Yesterday an elderly gentleman giggled with delight at the puppy's antics. I guess we all hve our ministries to the world, even my pup.

Love, Sue

Rainbow

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Two nights ago, I put the puppy out the back door to go potty and looked up to see the most beautiful double rainbow I ever saw!!! It extended across the entire sky and lasted for about twenty minutes. What a blessing!

Love, Sue

Fall Fun

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Last week a friend invited us to fly over our village in his single engine airplane. Seth went with me, but Roger was not so brave. We flew over Ripley's Corn Maze which was super fun to see. There is a dragon and a spider web carved in the corn. Seth got a photo on his phone to show to his friends at school the next day. We saw our house, the Congregational Church and the grain elevator at the end of our street. We also saw Seth's school, Thornapple Lake, Peace Church, Kalamo, Moo-ville and Nashville.

I was impressed with how small Charlotte and Lansing are from that vantage point. I was also amazed at how many trees are still left unharvested. The rivers and natural lakes stand out in sharp contrast to the rectangular geometry of the corn and bean fields.

Later in the week, we went to Art Prize in Grand Rapids. Seth was happy to get a day off from school and it was amazing to see everyone's differing reactions to the art. My favorites were the bronze statue man, the tee shirt structure, the door with the suitcase, the scar project and the pillars of cereal boxes surrounded by the carpet of bottle caps. Seth and I both liked the video about the concentration camps for the Japanese.

On Sat. we watched our grandson's football game and he made the only touchdown in the whole game! He was grinning from ear to ear along with the whole family!

Love, Sue

puppy time

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

In the mornings before school, Seth and I are in the kitchen with the puppy. I throw bits of dog food across the floor and the pup chases them, pounces and then eats them. He is so adorable. Memories are made of moments like this.

Love, Sue

First Day of School

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

We have a new puppy who is absolutely too cute for words! He's an 8 weeks old Jack Russell Terrier with an all white body, except for a black patch over his right eye and ear. Our son named him Kovac. He is a 3 ring circus until he drops in his tracks and falls asleep. He's cuddly when he's sleepy.

Kovac rode along in the car to take his boy to school. The boy was super excited to see his friends again.

Life is good!

Love, Sue

Go Frog Wild

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, yours and your ministries this week!

Lakewood School District had a special summer school for elementary kids to write and illustrate a children's book. They hired me to teach art and I had fun watching the kids create. The title of the book is tentatively called, "GO FROG WILD." J-Ad Graphics in Hastings will be publishing it.

It's not that hard to write and illustrate a book. Self publishing at a local printer is easy and inexpensive.

Grandma Camp

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, yours and your ministries this week!

Do you have happy memories of your grandparents?

My grandparents were the best and now I'm trying to do as they did with our grandchildren. We had Grandma camp this weekend and I cooked my traditional seven course breakfast in bed for the kids. I feel happy and satisfied with the pleasant outcome (hugs and kisses!)

Love, Sue

Weight Watchers

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

I'm back at Weight Watchers for the 4th time, but this time I think I'll succeed. I have a new teacher who is a ball of fire. She says she's "Rianna Doss" and sings, "Stop! And write it down, before you take a bite!" to the tune of "Stop in the Name of Love." That song is stuck in my head and I'm recording every food before I eat it.

I'm inspired and excited about getting healthier!

Love, Sue

Art Criticism

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries!

I received a note from an artist friend who has become immune to human criticism of her work after 30 years in the business. She says she paints to please God and doesn't worry about what anyone else thinks.

I really, really needed to hear that today.

Thank you dear friend.

Love, Sue

Creative Worship

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Imagine a worship service where the sanctuary is in the woods and there are easels surrounding the perimeter, along with drums, a dance floor, places to whittle and spots to write poetry. Creativity would be an act of worship. as the choir sings and the preacher tells stories about the word of God. Some people could be building with blocks, others could be knitting or playing with clay. The form of creativity would not matter; it could be anything.

The reason this idea appeals to me so much is because when a person is creating, they are in their child ego state and the faith of a child is much stronger than that of an adult. We could be worshiping with the faith of our inner child!

Love, Sue

Following God's Lead

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you ever have trouble discerning God's will in your decision making?

I feel embarrassed because I told everyone about my big plans which I thought God was leading me to do, then I hit a brick wall and realized that my disernment process wasn't working well in making that decision. I was heartbroken, because I was looking forward to my plans. I went to bed and cried.

Two days later, I shared my sorrow with a friend at church and he reminded me that God never shuts a door without opening a window. I met with my pastor and she prayed for me.

Within a day, my heart was healed and new plans were set in place.

It's okay to make mistakes, even when we do it publicly. We can still feel good about ourselves, despite our embarassment.

Love, Sue

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

I'm sorry I haven't written in awhile. I received a negative review on my art and I needed some recovery time.

The part of a person that creates is the inner child. Being in this child ego state is essential to create something new and the creativity comes through playfulness. I think we can be in our adult ego state if we are copying our old artwork that has no challenge to it. I'm not sure. I am always looking to do something new and unfamiliar, because I love the sense of discovery.

A helpful critism is specific and given in a respectful manner. Even our inner child can handle these, and is grateful for them because they make us better artists, but when the critisms feel too harsh, it's difficult to process them.

I hope I am always both kind and honest in my words while teaching or commenting on the artwork of other people.

Love, Sue

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!!

Our son is taking a 3-D computer animation day camp at Ferris State University this week. He likes it. Today he made a chair that tipped over when the cartoon character stood up from it.

I get to spend the days in GR waiting for him. I studied art history at the library today.

Love, Sue

New School Clothes

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week?

Do you remember getting new clothes for school?

Our son and I went to the mall today to buy new clothes. He's lookin' good!

Love, Sue

Family Ties

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week.

How do you like funerals?

I don't like them much, but I do love seeing family members I haven't seen in a long time. I met with three cousins and an aunt today in preparation for my uncle's memorial service, which will be held next weekend and I will be officiating. I loved seeing my cousin's home and catching up on news of their family. I can see the influence of our mutual grandparents in their lives. It kind of brings our grandparents back to life a bit to share stories about them and our experiences in their home.

Love, Sue

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How is your summer going?

We had a wonderful 4th of July with my dad, sister and brother and their families. I saw nieces and nephews I hadn't seen in a year! Plus it was refreshing to dive into the waves at Lake MI!

Love, Sue

Painting in the Garden

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

This morning was chilly so I painted in the sunshine next to my strawberry patch, with the black and white cat rolling around between the plants. I was lovely.

Love, Sue

Intentional Painting

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you ever talk to yourself out loud?

Sometimes when I paint I hear myself say, "Sue paint it like you mean it!" This means making sweeping curves instood of wobbly ones and using enough paint to make the image pop out at the viewer. I love strength in painting. It show passion for one's ideas.

Love, Sue

Sight Seeing

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you love to go sight seeing?

A friend and I toured neighboring farms to take photos last week, which took me back to feeling like a child again. What fun we had!

This weekend I went to the garden tour sponsored by the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition. If you ever get a chance to attend that event, it is well worth your time!!! Ohmygosh! I never knew such gardens existed!

My inspiration level is high after so much beauty!

Love, Sue

Colors

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

What is your favorite color combination?

I heard that Marc Chagall said something like this about colors on the color wheel; neighbors are friends, opposites are lovers!!!

I love to use complimentary colors together!

My husband and I are opposites that never cease to attract one another! At least not for long!

Love, Sue

Creativity Begets Creativity

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you ever heard a word of wisdom, that resounded in your soul, come out of the mouth of a perfect stranger?

I was doing an art fair this weekend and a farmer's wife said to me, "I believe that creativity begets creativity." She added that some people say they don't have a creative bone in their body and she said, "I don't buy that."

I couldn't agree more!

Love, Sue

film school

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you visited Grand Valley State University?

Our son identified that as the school he hopes to attend for film school. I totally believe in him and believe that the films he makes will make this world a better place.

Love, Sue

Kendall College of Art and Design

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you visited Kendall College of Art and Design?

I took our son there today to check out there computer animation department. They have wonderful programs for every area of art. They are a traditional school that focuses on drawing skills first. We were impressed.

Love, Sue

digital animation

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your minisries this week?

Do you know about Kendall School of Art?

I visited there this morning and they have some wonderful programs for kids including digital animation.

Love, Sue

Digital Animation Camp

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you know someone going to summer camp?

I took our son to digital animation camp this morning at Ferris State University. They have a good program.

Love, Sue

Cancer Survivor Art Project

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you know someone who has survived cancer?

The Art Center of Battle Creek has partnered with the American Cancer Society to create an artshow that will be a collaboration between cancer survivors and artists in our area. The artists and survivors pair up to work together on the pieces. Then the show will go on the road to cancer centers and art centers around the country. When the tour is complete, the artwork will be auctioned to raise funds for the next project of this sort.

Our first meeting was at a luncheon at the ACBC and I was the first to arrive. A number of well groomed, well dressed business women arrived along with a handful of men and the artists (of which I am one). We artists were dressed down in our artsy fartsy clothes and I could almost guess, who was part of which group, simply by our appearance.

I was impressed by the joyful demeaner of the cancer survivors, who are living life to its fullest, appreciating each day of borrowed time they have been given. Perhaps dressing and grooming are part of the zest for life they share.

I also suspect that we artists don't have the money to dress up so well. Maybe some do, but most of us are still "paying our dues."

This is a wonderful opportunity for new friendships to form and bond. The woman who chose me is already dear to my heart after only one long conversation.

Love, Sue

Group Name

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you seen your friends make a good decision together in harmony?

Our Thursday morning painting group thought up a name for ourselves. It is "Wandering Creek Artists." Now I am Sue Trowbridge of the Wandering Creek Artists.

I like the word wandering because it shows the diversity of our group, plus it shows that we are open in our creativity and not stuck in a rut. I like the word creek, because water is a source of life. We are also working together in Battle Creek. Another reason I like the work creek, is because it has an honest sound to it and some of us are innocent or folklike in our painting style.

Love, Sue

Selling Art

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you ever become frustrated trying to fulfill your dreams?

I have been painting my whole life and trying to sell my art for many years with little success. All of a sudden, every painting I create is selling quickly. I am in heaven!

I guess this is God's way of letting me know that I am on the right track!

Love, Sue

A Beautiful Last Day

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Did you ever receive some shocking news when you least expected it?

My sister and I took my mom and her boyfriend to Dow Gardens in Midland for a lovely picnic and stroll around the grounds. We saw several bridal parties with pretty brides in their white gowns. The birds sang, the flowers bloomed and the water splashed over the falls with glee. Every thing was perfect.

The next morning, we received a call that Mom's boyfriend had died in his sleep! We couldn't believe it!

My sister and I comforted our mother and one another with the knowledge that the poor man had experienced a wonderful adventure, filled with love and beauty on his last day in this life.

Love, Sue

Compositional Elements

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How do you know the composition of an oil painting is right?

Turn it sideways or upside down and see if it works.

I was unsure of a compositional element today and I used that trick. I was reassured my sky was right and I simply needed to add the colors I used in the sky, into other areas of the painting.

Love, Sue

Back Yard Studio

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Where is paradise for you?

I have a little piece of heaven at the back of our lot, next to a woods that is ablaze with wildflowers at the moment. I set up my easel there this morning and am working on a large piece, which is a painted prayer for the orphans of Haiti.

I love my job!!!

Love, Sue

Renewed Faith in Oneself

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you ever made a mistake that caused you to doubt yourself and then recovered.

Last week, I was unhappy with myself for trying to be too tough with the kids while substitute teaching for a 6th grade class. It backfired and I felt embarrassed.

Today, I subbed for a 7th grade class and proved to myself that I had learned my lesson last week, which renewed my faith in my ability to do the job well. I am grateful.

Love, Sue

A Visit

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you ever get the chance to see someone that you love and you haven't seen in a long time?

I am meeting my dad for lunch today and very much looking forward to it.

Love, Sue

Hard Moment

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

What makes you feel demoralized?

I taught for a sixth grade class yesterday as a substitute teacher. Today, I am having trouble getting over it.

Love, Sue

Leaving the Mundane World

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How do you leave the mundane world behind and enter into the magic kingdom?

A trick that I employed today was to cover up all of the clocks, which set me free and put me into a timeless state of mind.

I found myself hanging clothes on the line, howling at the wolf dogs that live next door and yes, eventually, I started painting. It went very well thanks to all the fun I had.

Love, Sue

Spring Day

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this morning!

What do you love about spring?

I love getting my hands in the dirt!

Love, Sue

A Good Day of Painting

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How do you feel when you have a productive day?

Yesterday, I was a little lost at the beginning of the day, which is a blessing, because I always want to be forging ahead in uncharted waters. It makes me lean on God for answers.

The biggest reason I paint is for the relationship I have with God while doing it. If I kept doing what I know how to do, I wouldn't feel the connection with God, but when I am puzzled and searching for answers, I feel God's presence and guidance. Oil painting is the perfect medium for this dynamic, because it is so difficult to master and there are endless possibilities.

I have been painting since the crib and plan to continue for the rest of my life and will still be learning new tricks of the trade when I'm 100 years old (Lord willin' and the crick don't rise!)

The answers that (I believe) God gave me yesterday worked, even though I was scared to try them. It's fun to create a satisfying product, but it is even more fun to feel God's touch in one's life.

Love, Sue

New Strength

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How often do you get hurt feelings?

All my life, I have heard that I'm "too sensitive!" It's true, but I figure that it's part of my charm.

Well, you can imagine my surprise and joy, when (praise the Lord!) I was able to overlook an insult yesterday! This is God at work in my spirit, because it sure isn't part of my human nature! I simple went about my business, said my bedtime prayers and went to sleep. I even slept all night. That has to be a first!

I feel so free!

Love, Sue

Theater Grief

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Did you ever experience theater grief?

Our son is sad now that the play is over; it breaks my heart to see him grieve.

Love, Sue

Alice in Wonderland

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you ever been involved in a play?

Our son is in the chorus of Alice in Wonderland Jr. and I got to put make up on the cast and keep kids quiet as they waited off stage for two matinees today. The kids are all tired from the rigors of rehearsals and shows; several of them fall asleep in between acts. The parents are all tired too.

Watching theater kids play together before the show is a blast though. They have rhythmic hand clapping games that fascinate me and they have become close from the months of working together, so they are openly affectionate with one another. They tend to be extroverted, extremely dramatic and joyful.

These are going to be wonderful memories for the kids to cherish as they grow older. I'm glad they are getting the opportunity to be part of a stage production.

Love, Sue

Seasons of Love

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you ever experience artist's block?

I can't tell if I am in a dry spell with my art or if I just want to garden! Farmer's blood flows fervently through my veins, and I am wanting to garden day and night, even though my body is tired.

I love to work in binges. I love to paint in binges too, so taking a little time off from it to work in the yard makes it that much better when I get back to painting later.

It's a good thing that I don't use substances, since I enjoy doing things obsessively!

Love, Sue

Clothesline Heaven

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

What activities make you feel like you are in heaven?

One of mine is being between the sheets that are hanging on the clothesline on a day like today. Another is being between the sheets in bed that have been freshly laundered and dried on the line. Such fragrance is bliss!

Love, Sue

May Flowers

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you love getting your hands in the soil?

I am playing hooky and gardening today instead of painting. Please don't tell God!

Love, Sue

New Painting

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Have you ever hit a road block in your creativity?

I did this week. The paintings I had started were not compelling me to pick up my brushes. When this happens, I know that my artist child is unhappy over something and that I need to cajole that part of myself back into playing with the paints again.

My artist child wants to go outside and play in the gardens instead of painting. Gardening in April is stiff competition for my painting projects, so I had to up the ante.

Starting projects is play for me and finishing them is work, so I started a new large oil for the Artprize competition in Grand Rapids. It is of a father sitting in a chair holding a baby girl. It is another one of my painted prayers for Haiti and is a prayer for the fathers who have baby girls.

I'm working on correcting the proportions, but the idea is good, and the composition is nice. The feeling of love is there already through the body language, the circular lines and the warm, inviting colors.

Love, Sue

Art Show

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Did you ever have mixed feelings about a success you had?

Today I put up a one woman show at the Art Center of Battle Creek II, on Michigan Ave. in the downtown section (where the bakery used to be.) I'm happy about my success.

I'm also sad, because I'm not quite ready to part with all of these paintings at once. I had them in our bedroom and kitchen where I admired them often throughout the day. I am going to miss them; they are my babies.

I suppose this is preparing me for the day when we take our son to college!

Love, Sue

Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your minitries this week!

Does your town have a special event?

Our whole town is recovering from the Maple Syrup Festival today.

The festival was an opportunity to see a group of Amish girls encountered by a gang of bikers, who revved their engines, as they headed in the opposite direction. The bar downtown did half of its annual business in 3 days. People came from everywhere, tasted this year's maple syrup and commented on the color and taste as if it were fine wine.

Our whole family worked and played together all weekend! The Trowbridges had a joint yard sale, marched in the parade, rode the rides, performed in the talent show and even hosted a pancake derby. It was awesome!

Today, I understand why Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go away to a lonely place to pray."

Love, Sue

Free Gifts

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

What do you give away for free?

Everywhere I go, people confide in me. How do they know that I am a pastor and will listen to them? We could be perfect strangers and they will talk to me like I were their best friend and tell me their secret sorrows.

Is it my face? My demeaner? What is it?

I think its because there is a lot of hurt in the world and people just need SOMEBODY who will listen and care. I used to get paid for this kind of thing when I was appointed to a church. Now I don't mind doing it for free, because I can't stand to see people suffer.

Love, Sue

Creative Binge

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Did you ever get into a creative binge?

I gave myself permission to make dolls all day today. I started at 7:30 a.m. and didn't stop until 5:00 except for a lunch break. I was possessed with the urge to do it!!!

I guess I needed a little break from the intensity of working on my painted prayers for Haiti throughout the entire work week for months on end. I will get back to it and I will be refreshed.

Love, Sue

Something Different

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you have any unfinished projects hiding in your nooks and crannies?

Five years ago I had to make paper one night. I was obsessed with the desire to do it so I looked on line and read enough to get started. I did lots of experimentation which is may favorite way to learn and I loved what I did.

I carved some sticks and intended to make dolls with the sticks and paper, but life got in the way of finishing my project.

Today a friend invited me over to do papercrafting, so I took my sticks and homemade paper and had a lovely time, visiting with the sweet ladies and making my dolls. I hated to leave when it was time to go.

Now I want to work on my dolls tomorrow, but feel I should get back to my painted prayers.

I'm curious which part of my mind will win this battle of how to spend my day.

Love, Sue

Morning Pages

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

How do you get inspired?

In the book, THE ARTIST'S WAY, Julia Cameron instructs people to write three pages in long hand in a journal. I gave it up a few months ago and went back to it this morning. Boy, have I missed it! It's my way of punching into the Magic Kingdom and becoming childlike again.

I went for a walk when I finished my pages to admire the neighbors gardens and pet their cats. When I came home, I was ready to paint all day long. It went well.

Love, Sue

Guarding Dignity

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

What is the best way to help others?

Of course, we want to supply immediate refief to people when they are in a disasterous situation, but it takes wisdom to do ongoing mission work. Helping people to help themselves is the kind of aid that we most want to provide.

How about if we start sending kits of art supplies to Haiti? Then Haitian artists could make art to sell to the missionaries. The artists would have the therapy of creativity and the dignity of earning their living, instead of being financially dependent on others.

Love, Sue

Artist's Reunion

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How do you like getting together with old friends?

Yesterday at painting class, we had several "prodigal" art friends arrive unexpectedly to rejoin our group. It was a fabulous painting, talking and eating party! There is nohing else like it!

I'm still glowing today from all of the fun!

Love, Sue

Mothers Have Eyes in the Back of Their Heads

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever lost track of a child who was in your care?

Last night our son's theater rehearsal finished super early, so when I went to pick him up earlier than the stated ending time, the director told me that our son had left with his friends. I asked if his best friend was with him and she said yes, so I went to his best friend's house. Our son wasn't there, but the brother of his best friend said that our son was at the pizza parlor. When I walked into the pizza parlor, our son wondered how I knew where he was. I replied, "Mother's have eyes in the back of their heads." He told me that he was going to return to the theater for the usual pick up time, so all was well.

Sometimes we as Christians take a detour from our intended path. Fortunately, God always knows where to find us.

Love, Sue

Influence

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Who do you influence?

While spending 2 days with my sister, Debbie, she taught me to play hearts on the computer and I signed her up for facebook. She called last night to tell me she loves facebook and I told her I've been playing hearts during my free time! We surely do influence one another!

Love, Sue

Magical Moment

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you had a magical moment recently?

Last night at 7:00 I went for a 3 mile walk in the country for exercise and it was beautiful! There was a dramatic sky, with dark clouds moving my way trailed by veils of rain to water the earth. I was well prepared with a raincoat and hood so I figured that the chance of getting wet was a small price to pay for the visual display in the vast horizon.

Far away, I spotted something that I couldn't identify which made me curious. As we drew closer, I could see that it was a small Amish wagon pulled by two wide ponies who were about as tall as golden retrievers, carrying a father and 3 children. As we met, they stopped to visit for a bit and I learned that the kids were aged 2, 3 and 4. They were absolutely darling!!! I was slightly acquainted with the father, who trains and trades horses. They were on their way home from putting trash in a neighbor's dumpster which they share. While we talked a little about horses, art, and family, I felt connected even though our beliefs are different. I wanted to talk longer, but the man was getting cold. The kids were bundled up, but he was in his shirt sleeves, so I let them go.

As I continued my walk, I felt grateful to God for my magical moment, visiting with my charming neighbors.

Love, Sue

Spring Break

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this morning!

Do you get to mentor people?

Over Spring break, I was fortunate to spend time with two of my favorite people, our 14 year old son, and my sister, Debbie. We went to Frankenmuth, MI which is a charming German Village, ate their famous chicken and toured the village a bit. We loved the giant cuckoo clock on the side of the Bavarian Inn that tells the story of the Pied Piper and of course, Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store.

We also took my son to visit university campuses to see what they have to offer in his field of interest, which is computer animation. We learned a lot and were fortunate to meet a department head at one school and an instructor at another. We talked to students, gathered literature and peeked into the classrooms.

As a parent it's hard to know how much direction to offer to my son. I am trying to help him gather information, encourage him in his dreams and leave the decisions up to him as much as possible, within our budget.

I'm pleased that he has a passion already and is interested at researching colleges at such a young age. It may seem early to some people, but this is his choice, not my idea (even though I love it!) The biggest blessing is that he now knows that every grade he gets in H.S. is important for reaching his goals.

Watching young people dream and pursue their hopes is one of life's thrills! As a mother, I am bursting my buttons in pride as he takes the bull by the horns to further his education. My prayer is that all children find ways to fulfill their sense of destiny and vocation.

Love, Sue

Teaching Art to Kids

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

What would you enjoy doing as an alternate career?

Today I get to teach art to kids which is great fun! Yes, I get stressed from all of the commotion, but I love to see kids create!

I'm helping them to make puppets out of tree branches today. They will come up with wild characters!

Love, Sue

Stress

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How do you handle stress?

I feel stressed today after receiving some bad new last night. How do I handle it? This one will take some prayers, some scripture, some music, some painting and maybe even a little chocolate.

God will bring something good out of it.

Love, Sue

The Joy of Easter

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How was your Easter?

I love Easter! It rivals Christmas in spiritual joy! Plus it's so darned fun with all of the pretty little girls in their dresses, spring flowers and loved ones laughing. Such bliss!

Yesterday was one of the most joyous Easters ever for me, because it was also our anniversary. I remembered the joy and energy I felt on our wedding day, 17 years ago, when, believe it or not, I preached two worship services in the morning and we got married in the afternoon. I was the pastor of two churches at the time and it was my way of including all of my parishioners in our wedding. I sure can't imagine having that much stamina today!

My husband was sweet and romantic in celebrating our marriage and our shared faith. Thank you God for answering my prayer with the man who is a wonderful match for me!!!!

Love, Sue

Good Friday

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever been mistreated by a whole group of people?

I never realized how painful that was until it happened to me and it took me years to recover from it. I'm glad it happend, in a way, because it gives me much more sympathy for Jesus Christ as he was persecuted and crucified by a mob of people that he loved. His example of non-violence and forgiveness is beyond my human understanding. I am grateful and filled with awe.

Love, Sue

Arnold Natioanl Holiday

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones, and your ministries today!

What is your favorite holiday?

This morning, I woke up early and went outside to see the full moon as it set in the west. I was surprised to see a helicopter had parked in our back yard. I wondered how it could have landed without waking us up sometime last night. As I approached, I saw a goat sitting in the driver's seat, chewing on the steering wheel. I hollered at him to stop and he said, "Mind your own business, Earthling!"

Love, Sue

Gift From God

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this morning!

What touches your heart?

Mine needed to compose a poem for the day:


GIFT FROM GOD

Once the morning moonlight

Made me shiver in delight,

It faded faintly in the mist.

But soon the rising sun

Lit the whole horizon,

Wrapped the village in pink,

And delivered it

To the mysteries of the day.

Love, Sue

Spring Cleaning

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you have spring fever?

When I was young, my dad used to read to us at bedtime and one of our favorites was "Wind in the Willows." The story starts out with spring cleaning and since then I have a fondness for the first day, I can open up the windows to air out the house and dig into some serious spring cleaning. It gives me hope for a new beginning!

Last night, I went outside in the warm weather and raked in the yard, picked up the litter and looked at my bulbs that were popping up out of the ground. Life is good!

Love, Sue

A.K.A. Seth's Mom

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How many hats do you wear?

Last week my wrist was swollen and sore from painting and money was low, so I prayed on Thur. night for a substitute teaching job on Fri.. Praise the Lord, I received a call to teach in our son's math and English classes.

He was great about it and even invited me to eat with him and his friends at lunch. What an honor! I think I will stay on Cloud Nine for about a week!

Love, Sue

A Good Kind of Tiredness

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever felt tired and were moving slowly from working hard for the Lord?

Doesn't it feel wonderful?!!!

Love, Sue

Continued Mission

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

What keeps you motivated?

I have been distracted by other parts of my life from my mission to paint prayers for the people of Haiti, so I did a little research on Twitter into the recent news from there. The conditions are horrendous! The night before last it rained all night long, flooding the tent cities. Most of the adult residents stood up all night long holding their children, to keep them up out of the water. Can you imagine?

The prison in Port au Prince broke apart during the earthquake, releasing 5000 prisoners, some of whom are a threat to innocent people. The photo from the BBC of a "chapel" in the prison showed that the prisoners were being housed there in crowded conditions with no bathroom facilities. The floor was a sewer, so the prisoners hung up hammocks from the ceiling to get out of the sewage. Plastic water jugs hung from the ceilings where they kept their water to drink. It's no wonder they fled when the walls broke apart!

Some Haitians are getting on fishing boats, risking their lives against the ravages of the sea to sail to Jamaica or anywhere to find better living conditions.

The people of Haiti need our continued prayers and support to survive the horrors they are still facing.

Love, Sue

Tears Turn to Dancing

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you ever have difficult days on the anniversary of the death of a loved one?

March 22 is usually a day of grief for me, because it's the anniversary of the day my younger sister died in a car crash. She was only 33 years old and I miss her.

I asked a friend to pray for me yesterday and the results were amazing! Instead of my usual tears and depression, I felt happy and productive, even painting into the evening.

I received a call from my mom who was having a good day too, so apparently the prayers extended to my family as well.

Thank you God for friends who pray and thank you for answering those prayers!

Love, Sue

Insights Into Prayer Painting

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you ever surprise yourself with an insight that comes out of your mouth?

I taught a class on praying through art on Saturday at a neighboring church and learned some things by listening to myself teach! I said that Jesus stated that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven one must come as a child; then I ventured to say that the same is true for the kingdom of art, because our inner child is the part of ourselves that creates.

So making art while we pray adds power to our prayers because we are praying with the part of ourselves that has childlike faith. This type of prayer is more affective than when we pray from our adult ego state, because of the doubts we learn by the time we become adults.

My students spent time in class painting and praying at the same time and were thrilled by how good it felt to do it. I can see that God is probably going to take me elsewhere to teach this type of prayer.

Love, Sue

I Did It!

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How do you feel when you do the thing you said you would do?

I kept the secret long enough for our 38 year old son and daughter in law to tell the whole family themselves that they are having a baby! Hurray for babies!!! I love babies!!!

We thought there weren't going to be any more grandkids until our 14 year old son has a chance to grow up and get married. We already have 5 grandkids, so we are well blessed already, but it is still such good news that I am practically jumping on the bed!

Love, Sue

"Better Out Than In I Always Say" --Hagrid

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Can you keep a secret?

When I was a kid, I couldn't keep a secret to save my life! But when I entered into the ministry, I had to learn to keep confidentiality.

Two days ago a family member shared joyous news with me and swore me to secrecy, because he (or she--not telling!) wanted to be the one to share the news in person with other members of our family. Of course I am honoring their request, which is reasonable, but I am bursting with joy and I can't tell anyone why! Help!!!

I find myself singing as I drive our son to school. (Fortunately for him, he has his headphones in his ears!) I haven't sung while driving all winter long!

I'm glad that I can at least tell Jesus! He'll help me to be patient and keep the cat in the bag.

Love, Sue

Finally Finished!

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How do you feel when you finish a project?

I am pleased because I finally finished Painted Prayers for Haiti #6-#11. I had some professional photos taken of them and posted them for you to see. I hope you find them enjoyable and inspiring.

Finishing is extra hard for me, so when I do it I am extra happy!

Love, Sue

painted prayers

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Are you ever frightened when you start to draw or paint an image?

The great thing about praying through art is that it doesn't matter if the image looks realistic or not. For instance when I paint an image of a mountain in Haiti and cover it with trees, the thing that matters is that I am praying for the reforestation of the land, not whether my perspective or colors are "correct." When I paint a child it doesn't matter if the proportions are correct, what matters is the smile on her face and the joy in some unknown child's heart that manifests in response to God's touch as a result of prayer and faith.

This type of art frees artists to paint what is in their hearts and minds rather than painting what the physical eye or the camera lense sees. Remember when you were a child and drew both ends of the barn, because you knew both ends existed even though you can't see them both from the same vantage point? Prayer painting takes the artist back to that innocent way of thinking and creating.

In this style of painting life is wonderful, because whatever you do is right!

Love, Sue

God's Hand

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you ever wonder how much God controls the events of our lives?

Yesterday at painting class we were amazed that 5 out of the 8 of us all got the stomach flu last Sat.. Of course we were comparing notes about our symptoms and trying to figure out what caused the attack. (Believe me, it was an ATTACK!)

One of the 3 to not get the bug was our teacher, Craig, whose wife is undergoing chemo treatments for cancer. If Craig's wife, Jan, were to get sick it would be a big problem, because of her lowered immune system.

Did God protect Craig and Jan?

These kind of questions are always hard because of the other implications involved.

I often feel God's hand in my life, so I sometimes think that God is involved in directing our circumstances, yet I don't feel comfortable with blaming God for the bad things that happen.

It is a mystery to me and I am so looking forward to understanding in "the by and by."

Love, Sue

Time and Love

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do your projects take longer than you anticipate?

I was hoping to have more paintings to photograph and post for you this week, but my desire to improve the work got in the way of that plan. Oil paintings can take a tremendous amount of time and love!!!

That's okay though because it's time spent loving.

Love, Sue

Simple Pleasures

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you ever long for a simpler life?

Yesterday I got one when my laptop died. Now in order to use the computer, I have to go to the chilly spare room and use the ancient PC my husband bought at a garage sale.

When things like this happen, I look to God for a silver lining in the storm cloud.

I've found myself reading my bible during the time I used to spend fiddling with the computer. Actually, I'm not sad about the change. Perhaps I needed it.

Love, Sue

Encouragement Rather Than Instruction

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you ever find yourself treading too heavily on the choices of others?

I embarrassed myself by doing that with someone recently and am feeling repentant. Whenever something like this happens, I try to see what lesson God has to teach me.

I am interpreting this one as a warning to be extra careful in teaching art in Haiti. I want my lessons to be mostly encouraging, rather than involving too much instruction in traditional Western art. My plan is to provide materials and see what happens as people paint for their first time. I will cheer them on as they develop their own style and not try to get them to do it differently than what comes naturally to them.

Under French rule, the slaves in Haiti where tortured and killed if they created images, so all of the painting and sculptural gifts the slaves brought from their homeland were squelched for centuries. In 1944, DeWitt Peters founded an art center in Port-au-Prince, providing art supplies, instruction and a market for Haitians to create art. That seed blossomed into a vast garden of irresistable art that is collected world wide.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to go to Mizak next winter to "teach" art. but I have a feeling I will do more learning than teaching!

Love, Sue

New Lease on Life

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you avoided the flu this season?

I am recovering from a violent case of the stomach flu and am so grateful to be walking around again. I always appreciate my health so much more after a bout with the flu. It's too bad that I couldn't be this thankful all of the time!

Love, Sue

Healing Friendships

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Where is your sanctuary?

Yesterday as I was getting ready to head out the door to my painting class, I received a phone call from the school practically pleading with me to substitute teach for them that day. I said, "I'm sorry, but Thursday is the one day that I am not available to teach."

All day on Thursday is the time I devote to my friends of 13 years to get together, paint, talk and of course eat! Yesterday, I did more talking and listening than I did painting, because that was what was needed. I sat and listened to my grieving friend who had been away on vacation for two weeks and couldn't wait to get back to our group to be with us, because we help to heal him from the horrible grief he endures daily.

We welcome new people into our group every season when the new class term begins and we instantly make them insiders. They bring new blood and fresh ideas to our group.

We pride ourselves on loving one another unconditionally, overlooking one another's foibles, focusing on everyone's gifts and graces, and empathizing with each other. We are genuine yet kind in our critques of one another's art and encourage each other in our creative endevors. As a result, we are getting to be better artists every week and the growth in our skills and our ideas is remarkable over a year's time.

We value our relationships so much and frequently recite, "We wish everyone had this kind of a group!"

If you have this kind of support in your life then you are blessed. If not, then how could you create it?

Love, Sue

Day After

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Were you nice to substitute teachers in school?

When I was in grade school and Jr. High I was a goody two shoes, but when I turned 15, I became a bit obnoxious. I remember lying to the substitute teacher about what time lunch break started. I told her that it was 10 minutes earlier than it actually was and I used my innocent charm to try to make it believable. When she found out the truth, she looked at me, as if to say, "How could you do such a rotten thing to me?" I felt ashamed of myself. She was very pregnant and was probably not having a good day.

Jesus said, "You reap what you sow." I certainly received my paybacks yesterday while teaching as a sub in a 6th grade class! I am going to have to find a way to get a lot tougher!!!! I also have to become a lot wiser about outsmarting the class clowns and the just plain disruptive ones who have no interest in learning.

The child that worried me the most was probably the prettiest girl in the class. Her hair was professionally cut and she had spent a lot of time fixing it and dressing herself for school. But her eagerness to learn was totally absent, even though she was a smart enough girl. She spent the day being annoying to get attention and probably absorbed very little information. I guess her plan for the future is to get by on her good looks.

I did manage to learn all of the kids first names and accomplished most of the lesson plans, but I spent the evening looking for ways to forgive the kids for treating me unkindly. I know they are just being kids and I was one too, but this is a stressful job!!!

Love, Sue

Renewal

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Did you ever feel God's touch in your life when you were down?

OMGosh! I was crying yesterday from an accumulation of unfortunate events that were beyond my control. Then a thought came into my head to call the Office of the W. MI Annual Conference and ask if there were a room where I could display my painted prayers for Haiti. I was directed to Valerie Mossman-Celestin and after about 2 sentences, I knew that God brought us together!

She works with an organization called Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI) who empowers the men, women and children of a small mountain community to make better lives for themselves through their creativivty. You can look them up on the web. It's an amazing project started and run by the people of the community with encouragement from Americans. HAPI is an Advanced Special of the United Methodist Church.

Valerie asked me a magic question: did I want to teach art in Haiti? OMGosh! She lit a fire under me that has me hopping! I don't know how God will make this happen, but I can't wait to see it unfold!!!

I'm off to be a substitute teacher for a 6th grade class this morning with renewed hope in my heart!

Love, Sue

You Gotta Have Art

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Can you imagine what worship would be like without music or art?

I took the paintings off the wall in our bedroom to have prints made of them and I can't stand the room without them. It's downright depressing to have the art missing!!! I actually NEED art in our home to feel okay.

Yes it's March, Lent and the whole northern region has cabin fever. Perhaps I should have waited until the flowers started blooming before having these prints made! I am shocked at how much difference having art around affects my mood!

My husband and I have found a restaurant with delicious food, good service and low prices, but plain white walls. When we have money to eat out, we find ourselves choosing a different restaurant whose food is not as good, simply for the ambiance. They have lovely art on the walls.

Art really does matter!

Love, Sue

blessings

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever created something you loved when you were grieving?

Some people don't grieve over dogs, but I am grieving over our dog, Daisy's, death today. I painted this painting while I was grieving and I love it! It's weird how that can happen.

I hope you enjoy my painting.

Love, Sue

Stepping It Up

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministry today!

Have you ever found yourself getting a little lazy?

Well there is nothing like having no food in the house to get me to step it up and get back to work. I had applied to be a substitute teacher in Dec. and I received my first job on Tues. of this week. When I visited the school on Wed., I found out that I could have a one day teaching job five days a week if I wanted it that way, which I don't. However, our budget requires that I make money, which is not always easy to do with art.

I have not had a paycheck for 5 years. Of course I have worked: parenting, painting, doing domestic work at home, plus some volunteer work. But I was free all the time. Whatever I did was my choice, because my husband is not demanding and he's very willing to work to provide for our family. He supported me in my dream to be a fulltime artist.

My art career has grown...slowly. Even though I am passionate about painting, I am less than thrilled about the work of promoting my work. Business is not my forte.

This morning I jumped up out of bed and hopped into the shower, because I knew I might get a call to teach and if I didn't, I would be prepared to paint. (I just received a call to teach this afternoon and I said, "Yes.") Now I will hurry to get the dishes done, walk the dog, and paint as much as I can before 11:15.

I am having to step up my stress handling skills and my self discipline to get everything done that I want to do. I used to be much better at this when I was 22! Now that I'm 55, I have to push myself harder. But it's good to be pushed a little, just not too much.

Love, Sue

The Faith of a Child

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever wished upon a star?

When our son was 7 he wished on a star for a golden retreiver puppy. Two weeks later, Daisy came to us as a stray. She wasn't a puppy, but she was a golden. She smelled like road kill and had blond dread locks hanging all over her. I gave her a bath, brushed her and started calling her Daisy. She licked my hand and stayed.....for awhile. She was used to hunting for fresh meat (such as Bambi or Garfield) and thought that dry dog food was unacceptable. So everytime she got hungry, she jumped the fence and went on a hunting expedition.

We lived in the country and our next door neighbors raised champion sheep and I worried that we could owe thousands of dollars if she got into their pasture!!!! So I called her back and scolded her about staying in our yard, everytime I caught her leaping over the fence like a deer.

She never talked about her past, but the vet guessed that she was about two years old. One thing was obvious; she had been abandoned, probably more than once. I said that she had attachment disorder, because it took her six months to adopt us. But once she did bond, it was for life.

We had a male dog named Moses when Daisy came to us and he fell in love with her at first sight. He licked her, snuggled up to her and played with her endlessly and quite frankly, she never cared a hoot for Moses, or so we thought.

After we moved to town, I took the two dogs with me back to the farm so I could move some boxes. I opened the door to the pickup and Moses jumped out and ran all around the yard. Not Daisy! She stayed in that truck for 45 minutes until I got back into it and took her home with me. She was taking no chances of being dropped off again!!!

I laughed and told her, "You're making me feel better about myself!" I have a reputation for being clingy in a romantic relationship, because of my abandonment issues. In fact I drove all of my boyfriends crazy with it and was blessed to meet my husband who has even greater abandonment issues than me. Our son has them too, from being in a orphanage in Vietnam for five months. So we call ourselves the "cling family!" Even our dog is clingy!!!! We were made for one another!

When Moses died Daisy moped for a month and it wasn't until, I took her to the woods and let her run, allowing her to do every naughty thing that she could think of, before she snapped out of her funk. She waded in the black swamp water, rolled in the dead carcasses and ate you know what. Somehow, all of those totally disgusting activities reminded her that she was still a dog and that life was worth living.

Daisy came to us as a gift from God and now it is almost time to give her back, because she can't get around anymore and my heart is aching. But death is part of life and I must be brave.

I will never forget my amazement at our son's faith when he made his wish upon that star and God granted it. When Seth was little, he could pray for anything and it would happen! I often asked him to pray for my parishioners when they were deathly ill and like clockwork, they revived.

Oh to be able to have that kind of faith as an adult! I think I understand what Jesus meant when he said that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must come as a child.

Much Love, Sue

New Paintings

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

How do you feel when you finish a project to your satisfaction?

When I was little, I followed my grandmother around the farmhouse and yard like a puppy dog. I dried the dishes she washed, made the beds with her (slapping the feather pillows to fluff them), put the cinnamon rolls into the baking dish after she kneaded the dough, rolled the brown sugar and cinnamon into it, then cut it into magic pinwheels. I caught the overhauls when they came through the wringer on the washing machine and pushed them down into the cold rinse water, then I caught them after they went through the wringer the second time and put them into the laundry basket. I handed the clothespins to her as she hung them on the line and simply watched in fascination as she sprinkled them with water and ironed them.

Everything my grandmother did was a ritual and she did it perfectly. When she taught me to quilt, she emphasized how important it was to have the corners meet exactly. Her knitting was so tight that the mittens she made for all eight of her grandchildren every year, kept the cold and snow out, no matter how long we played outdoors.

I learned my craftsmanship from her and set my standards equally as high as hers.

In Seminary, I learned that getting a B+ instead of a A+ was "very good" and I changed many of my standards for myself, especially when it came to housework!

However, there is still one area of my life where I try to be as absolutely perfect as I can be and that is with my art. Before I can sign an oil painting it has to "be my baby" and I have to be able to live with it on my walls at home. So calling a painting finished is not easy for me.

But I did it! I finished Painted Prayers for Haiti #4 and #5! I posted them for you to see. I hope you enjoy them, dear friends.

Much love, Sue

A Pretty Purse

Dear Friends,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this day!

Have you ever made a gift for someone that thrilled them?

Eliza Jane carried her new little purse that her mother and I made for her everywhere she went after we gave it to her. She is a darling three year old with blond hair, green eyes, pearly white teeth and two dimples in the same cheek! Her smile would melt the hardest of hearts!

We made the purse in my quilting class at church this morning. Nicole, our daughter-in-law, a.k.a. Eliza's mommy, had never sewn before, but always wanted to learn. She chose some cute cloth and we whipped together a little bag with a simple nine patch quilt pattern on each side and two little handles. We didn't have time to line it, but three year olds don't care about linings in their purses. Eliza thought it was as perfect as could be!

As a child I received many such gifts from my mom, grandmother and aunt. It feels so good to be all grown up and passing on the tradition of making handmade gifts for my own little ones! I remember how good it felt as a kid to receive those gifts, but it feels even better to make something with a loved one, for a loved one and have them both be delighted!

Love, Sue

Spring in the Air

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you noticed that Spring is in the air as of yesterday?

I heard birds chirping and the air felt mild in my nose as I took a deep breath yesterday morning. It's coming!!!

My dad LOVES to call me from FL when the temperature in MI is below zero and brag, "I'm sitting by the pool, having a drink and watching the pellicans...." (GRRRRR......)

I love snow more than most middle aged folk, but I am so ready for signs of spring! I need some new hope, rebirth, green pastures, still waters!

There is something very reassuring about the changing seasons and being sure that spring will always come again.

Love, Sue

Faith in Christ

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever been afraid to step forward?

One of the lovely perks of going on a mission trip to Haiti was our day off when we got to go to the beach and swim. As we were approaching the cabana that served as an open air restaurant, there was a walkway with stepping stones that frightened me. Someone had taken pieces of coral and pressed them into cement in Voodoo symbols. I stopped in my tracks and was afraid to step on them. Call me superstitious, but I had just enough casual contact with Voodoo, to be scared by it.

I asked our tour guide if she thought it could be harmful to walk on them and this was her reply, "It could. But if you believe in Jesus Christ then you are covered in protection and it can't hurt you a bit."

I walked across the path with no qualms whatsoever.

I have mixed feelings about Voodoo. On the one hand, I see that it's very much like our legal system in the USA. In America people sue one another; in Haiti they use spells to keep people from harming them again. Also, the revolution against the French began in a Voodoo ceremony.

But on the other hand, there is something that feels very scary to me in my limited experience with Voodoo and I don't want to mess with it.

My confidence in walking across that path in faith has served me well at other times in my life. For instance when I drive home on country roads in the dark and I'm afraid of a deer running out in front of my vehicle, I recite the 23rd Psalm over and over again. I gives me the peace that passes understanding and it feels wonderful!

Love, Sue

Teenage Honesty

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministry today!

Have you ever noticed how honest teenagers can be?

It's rare to get our 14 year old son to talk to us, but every once in awhile it happens. This morning I needed an outside opinion on my painted prayers for Haiti #3, #4 and #5, so I asked our son to give me a quick critique before he left for school.

He took one look and said, "I like that one (#3). I don't like the green in that one (#5), but I like the tree. I like that one (#4) except that her face is kind of ugly."

I asked, "Do you dislike the shape of the green or the color."

He repied, "The color." (He doesn't seem to like green very much, at least not in my paintings, so I took that comment with a grain of salt.)

However, he was exactly right about the woman's face being kind of ugly. Why couldn't I see that? My husband didn't notice it when he looked at it. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I spent another hour or so, making the face prettier on prayer #4 and now I love the painting and I had serious qualms about it before, but I couldn't put my finger on why it was bothering me.

I wonder if he will still give me honest critiques when he becomes an adult. I hope so, because I find them helpful.

A lot of people in my life have criticized me for being "too sensitive!" OMGosh! I have heard that way more times than I can count!

However, when it comes to my art, I appreciate honesty, because I want to improve as much as possible. Of course there are criticisms that are not helpful, like, "That stinks!" But when it is sincere and specific it can be very enlightening!

Love, Sue

Camping in the Rain

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Have you ever been camping in the rain?

I have, but it doesn't really count, because my family had a camper and we were up off the ground. We did get cabin fever though, because there were seven of us, so we played cards a lot! I think we wore the spots off from the cards by the end of the week! Fortunately we had a home waiting for us at the end of our soggy vacation.

Others are not so lucky. The rainy season in Haiti is on it's way and the tent cities in Port-au-Prince are going to be very wet. Rain is a blessing, because there will be water for drinking and washing, but it may make sleeping very uncomfortable. Being homeless is bad enough, but being homeless in the rain is even harder.

Please join with me in doing what we can to make the lives of the Haitian people a little easier.
Thank you.

Love, Sue

To Quilt Is Human To Finish Is Divine

Dear Readers,

Good morning! I hope you had a good weekend and didn't pig out too much on Valentine's Day candy like I did!

How many of you struggle with completing your projects?

It's been said that the "one with the most cloth when she dies wins!" Well I brought my entire stash to church with me yesterday to share with my Sunday School class, entitled, "Co-creaters with Christ." My students want to learn to quilt, so I am teaching them. Along with my fabric, I brought my two dozen or so unfinished quilt projects, all of which are very impressive, except they are not usable, because they are not done.

I am a great starter!

A year ago, I started out to lose 40 pounds and praise the Lord, I lost 20 in the last year. Then I gave up for awhile and am starting to gain. It's time to get back on track and finish this project of improving my health by losing my extra 20 pounds.

I cook a turkey every other week and am well aware of how heavy a 20 lb. turkey is to carry. I don't go very far with it before I am all to willing to set it down on the counter top. When I consider that I am putting that much extra weight on my skeleton to support, I get inspired to fight hard to win my battle against my inner procrastinator and finish my journey to reach my goal.

I need to focus my energies! I need to pray because I need God's help. Finishing is not my forte! I also need to set my mind to doing this thing. Perhaps if I remind myself of my past successes, it will help. My husband says that I am "very determined!" He doesn't use the word "stubborn."

Lent begins on in two days. With God's help I can give up sugar and fat. This will get me started back on my path to become as healthy and energetic as possible, by losing 20 lbs. and being active everyday.

God bless you in your Lenten goals.

And God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today.

Love, Sue

blessings

Dear Readers,

I painted forever yesterday and am downright tired today, so I have nothing clever to say, but I still want to say:

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Love, Sue

Handling Stress

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Our teenage son and I locked horns this morning and I felt uncomfortably stressed afterwards. I needed to forgive him, which was easy, and forgive myself, which was not so easy. I had to find a way to help myself to feel better in order to enjoy my day.

Then I read my friend's blog about issues of control and it helped ease my mind. She said that we all have areas of our lives over which we have no control, and we wish we could, so we try to control other people to make ourselves feel better. Her honesty stung because I was trying to control our son this morning to do things which I felt were important, but he didn't. But the sting went away, because I could hear her voice through her words and she is a comfort to me.

As I went about my business, I thought about how stressful life is for many people in the world and reminded myself that my troubles are small. Plus I remembered that I have a job to do today. My job gives me a sense of purpose and I don't want to allow stress to get in the way of doing my job well.

I pray that you have a low stress, happy day and that you feel fulfilled by your work and play today.

Snow Day

Dear Readers,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!

Do you remember how you felt when you were a kid and you had a day off from school because of snow?

When I was in seminary at Boston University we had 14" of snow on the first day of spring! BU closed and I had my homework done! I felt like a little kid, so I rounded up my friends to go outside and build a sculpture in the snow with me. Now when snow crazed seminarians build a snow sculpture, it's not your run of the mill snow man or even snow woman! We sculpted a lion and a lamb lying together in snow white bliss!

If you have ever lived in Boston or even visited Boston, you know that strangers on the street don't look at you, say nothing of speaking to you. My brother-in-law, who grew up in Boston, says that when other drivers in Boston give you the finger, it's just their way of saying, "Hi! How are you?"

But when we built our snow lion and lamb, our neighbor, who was walking by, stopped. looked and said, "Isaiah 11:6!"

We could hardly believe our eyes and ears!

He stayed and had a conversation with us for a few minutes. We learned that he was a student of Hebrew Studies at BU and lived 2 doors down from our brownstone, which served as the dormitory for Theology students. He was a very nice man.

What made him stop? Was it the fact that adults were playing in the snow? Was it the visual imagery from one of the most cherished scriptures in the Bible? Was it the Holy Spirit? Whatever it was, I'm glad he did, because it made an already wonderful memory even better.

When It's Right You Know It

Dear Readers,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
How do you discern God's will for your life?
My husband called me with joy in his voice from work yesterday, because he had been praying (for a week and a half) about 2 bills that we had looming over our heads and the manager of his shop came out of the office to hand out envelopes for everyone at 10:20 a.m.. Roger opened his to find a bonus check for almost the exact amount of money that we owe on those two bills!!! Can you believe it?!!! It had been forever since his last bonus and this came as a total surprise!
My husband has been feeling the call to the ministry all of his life and like Jonah, has been on the boat headed the other way from Nineveh, but since his hours at work were cut recently, he decided to pursue his call. This answer to prayer confirmed for him that he is on the right path.
It feels so good when we are doing what we interpret as God's will for our lives!!!

Lost in the Dominican Republic

Dear Readers,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today.
Have you ever been lost in a foreign country? I don't recommend it!
That happened to us on our trip to Haiti in 1990. There was political unrest in Haiti and the airport in Port au Prince closed just as we were about to leave on our trip, and being the determined mission workers that we were, we decided to go into Haiti through the Domincan Republic. We arrived at the airport in the D.R. at about 8:00 p.m. and everyone else on our fight left the terminal. There we were standing all alone in the dark with no one to meet us and none of us spoke Spanish very well. I had a phone number of the person who was supposed to be our tour guide, so I found a public phone and made the call. A young mother answered the phone and thankfully, she spoke English. She had no idea, that we were coming because our contact person from Haiti was unable to call her because the phone system wasn't working that day. She said, "My husband is gone, my two children are in bed and I'm eight months pregnant. I can't pick you up."
I replied, "What do we do?"
She said, "I'll call you back in 5 minutes," and hung up the phone.
I thought she meant 5 minutes the way we count minutes here in the midwest, but she was talking about Dominican Republican time! She called back in 45 minutes and asked to speak to a taxi driver.
There were two taxi cabs at the curb and I motioned for one of the drivers to come to the phone. He jabbered on with her in Spanish in super speed, so I didn't catch one word. He hung up the phone and motioned us into the two taxis and yelled to the other driver, "Follow me!" Then he took off at what seemed like 90 miles an hour to me, leaving the other cab in the dust.
Our cab looked like a stock car. It did have a windshield, but all of the other windows were missing. We were careening around people, chickens, goats and dogs at breakneck speed. I was panicked because I was the leader of this trip and responsible for the safety of the other people I brought along and they were nowhere in sight. The only way I could cope with the situation was to repeated the words. "Love, joy, peace, patience..." over and over again in my mind. If I stopped for even a second the panic in my chest started to rise into my throat. A young man from our group in the cab with me was telling me about all of the security guards he saw in front of homes with machine guns. I did not appreciate his chatter one little bit and I tried my best to be polite to him while silently reciting my words of faith.
Then our cab broke down.
I started praying with all of my heart for God to help us.
Within minutes our other cab arrived at the spot of our breakdown and I was never so happy to see those people in my whole life!
The drivers worked on the engine while we prayed as a group.
Miraculously, our young mother, who was our tour guide, drove up in a van and took us straight to the guest house where we would be staying that night. When we walked in through the door, we all spontaneously dropped to our knees and sang the doxology!
I vowed in my heart to never lead another mission trip again!
I feel every muscle in my body tense as I am writing this! Later, we laughed and loved to recount the story to one another, but at the time we were downright scared! It was in those moments that I actually felt the prayers of the people back home who were praying for us and it gave me a world of comfort.
God really does work through prayer!

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Dear Readers,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministry today!
How did you feel when you woke up this morning? I hope you felt good and if not, I hope you will feel better soon.
Today I woke up happy, for the first time in the last six days, since my husband's hours were cut at work. I attribute this joy to having spent a day painting with my friends at the Art Center of Battle Creek. We have been getting together for over 12 years and love one another unconditionally. We talk, we paint, we offer one another artistic advice, we eat and we pray a Native American prayer of thanksgiving before our meal.
I always feel good the day after we get together, because we support one another artistically and emotionally too. We discuss anything: politics, religion, etc. and we have a rule that anyone may express their opinion, but no one is allowed to criticize anyone else's views.
Some people are naturally cheerful. When our son was a toddler, he used to run around saying, "Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!" with a huge smile on his face. It made me feel like a success as a mom to have such a cheery kid!
God must feel that way when we are happy too. I love the scripture in the wisdom literature that says, "God delights in his people." Some people see God as stern, but not me, because even we human beings look at our loved one's foibles as part of their charm and we are less perfect in loving than God is. God must love it when we smile, laugh, clap our hands and dance!
Of course, we can't be happy all of the time. But it sure feels good when we get back to feeling joy again after a period of sorrow!

To Everything There Is a Season

Dear Readers,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministry today!
When we stayed near a small village in Haiti, our dormitory rooms had no ceilings, so it was like the Walton family. We could talk at night which we did when we heard the voodoo drums, because it was our first night there and we were scared by them.
The open ceilings made it impossible to not overhear conversations in the next room. Now I will admit, that my husband and I love to eavesdrop in restaurants on the people sitting at nearby tables, but other than that, I am not known to intentionally listen to other people's conversations.
I couldn't help but overhear a young woman on our trip who was a PK (pastor's kid)complaining about how she felt like she had to make an appointment to speak to her dad. My heart went out to her and I made a vow to myself that my future children would never have to feel that way.
I was one week away from entering seminary at Boston University, and though I was single, I had a very dear wish to marry and have a family.
Since that time, God has blessed me with a husband, a son (who turned 14 yesterday), 3 stepsons, 3 daughters-in-law and 5 grandchildren. My cup runneth over!
While I pastored a church, I was diligent about my time, being fair to everyone, God, myself, my family and my church. I was trained for good boundaries by punching a clock for 10 years as a jeweler.
Now that I am passionately painting prayers for Haiti, I find it hard to quit work at the end of the day and spend time with my family. Yesterday was our son's birthday, which meant taking time to create a party, (which we all enjoyed!) Plus my grandson wanted me to paint his face with multiple eyes like Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, because his youth group was having a pirates' night.
Looking back on yesterday, the birthday party and the painted face were the most memorable and meaningful parts of my day, even though I feel my work is important. I must keep in mind the wise words from Ecc., "For everything there is a season..."

Encouragement from Little Ones

Dear Readers,
I pray that God will bless you, your loved ones and your ministry this day.
Do you like to cuddle with someone you love and read a picture book? I loved to do that so much when I was little, that I began to dream of growing up, getting married, having a child, then writing and illustrating a book for that child. It took a long time for that dream to come true for me, but last spring when our son came home from school, I handed him a blindfold and told him we were going on a mystery trip. He asked about a hundred times, "Where are we going?" but I didn't say, so when we pulled into the parking lot of the local printer, he still didn't know what was happening.
The sales lady took us into the conference room, then I handed her my camera and asked her to take a picture. She snapped the shot, just as I was handing the first published copy of "Red the Rooster" to our son, Seth.
I wrote the book when he was 7 years old, but it took me until he was 13 to publish it.
Now a 13 year old boy, cannot show a lot of emotion, especially to his mom in front of a stranger! But he was sweet and I could see in his face that he was truly pleased. The saleslady left and Seth sat down next to me and allowed me to read the book to him as if he were still in 2nd grade.
Yesterday, I got to go to Fuller St. Elementary and read the book to the 2nd and 3rd grade classes. The kids were awesome!!! They cock-a-doodle-dooed along with the rooster, they mooed with the cow, meowed with the cat and even oinked with the pig in my story! They clapped and asked me for my autograph! I even received a number of sweet hugs!
I also showed them one of my painted prayers for Haiti and let them touch the surface of the oil painting. I was impressed that every single child in the 2nd and 3rd grade classes I visited knew about the earthquake in Haiti. I told them how sad I felt when I saw the pictures on the news and that painting and praying for the people made me feel better.
I asked them what they did to help themselves feel better when they are sad and I got all kinds of answers! One tough boy said, "I suck it up!" Lots of them play video games, eat chocolate, go to sleep, watch TV or read. Many of them like to draw, sing, dance or write when they are sad. One little boy broke my heart when he said that he drew pictures of his family that he missed, because he was in foster care.
I felt the urge to gather him up in may arms, take him home and adopt him right then and there! Of course my wiser self reminded me that I am 55, struggling financially and already have a son to raise!
Our son was in an orphanage in Vietnam and we were blessed to be able to adopt him when he was five months old, back in 1996. He is the joy of our lives! I thank God every day for him!
Part of me would like to adopt 10 kids if I could, but it would not be wise. So what do we do when we see needy kids that need permanant homes? It's not an easy question.
I find my peace by praying for them, and showing them whatever love I am able to give.
We all want to do more than we can. Instead, we just keep on doing the things we can do and put the rest in God's hands.