Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones today.
Did you ever have an exceptional day?
This morning when the phone rang, I knew the call was one that I had been waiting for 6 weeks to receive. It was good news and took a load off from my mind.
Then I started my new painting and it went super well, in fact, I made far more progress than I ever dreamed was possible in one day.
I think that the beginning of Lent had something to do with how everything fell into place as I hoped it would. It felt like God was near and smiling down on me.
Thank you Jesus!
Love, Sue
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
New Project
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever gotten excited about a new project?
The Art Center in Battle Creek is hosting an annual art show called "Michigan Artists' Competition" and the theme for this year is "Earth, Air, Water and Fire." There is an image in my mind's eye of Mother Nature holding the earth in her arms and the title is, "Honor Your Mother." I bought the canvas today and some new brushes so that I can get started tomorrow.
Of course I still have 50 or so other paintings that are partly finished, but that is okay, because this is my mode of operation. I work on a lot of paintings at the same time. I do finish them eventually, but I am not like some people who start one thing and finish it before starting another. I envy people like that, but I don't think I could do that even if I decided to make it into a serious goal.
Of course I'm not going to set a crazy goal like that. The inner child is the part of a person that creates. My inner child is super random and not very organized, but somehow things do get finished. I'm not sure how, but it doesn't really matter how as long as I continue to finish my projects in my own zigzag timing.
I love being free to be myself with my art and not have to live according to someone else's rules.
I hope that you get to experience this kind of creative freedom in some area of your life.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever gotten excited about a new project?
The Art Center in Battle Creek is hosting an annual art show called "Michigan Artists' Competition" and the theme for this year is "Earth, Air, Water and Fire." There is an image in my mind's eye of Mother Nature holding the earth in her arms and the title is, "Honor Your Mother." I bought the canvas today and some new brushes so that I can get started tomorrow.
Of course I still have 50 or so other paintings that are partly finished, but that is okay, because this is my mode of operation. I work on a lot of paintings at the same time. I do finish them eventually, but I am not like some people who start one thing and finish it before starting another. I envy people like that, but I don't think I could do that even if I decided to make it into a serious goal.
Of course I'm not going to set a crazy goal like that. The inner child is the part of a person that creates. My inner child is super random and not very organized, but somehow things do get finished. I'm not sure how, but it doesn't really matter how as long as I continue to finish my projects in my own zigzag timing.
I love being free to be myself with my art and not have to live according to someone else's rules.
I hope that you get to experience this kind of creative freedom in some area of your life.
Love, Sue
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Mother/Daughter Time
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Do you have a special family member in your life with whom you get to spend time?
I am taking a college course with our daughter Chloe and enjoying every minute of it. I love watching her learn and be a popular member of the class. The best part is that she loves having me there with her, so we get to bond.
Another big plus is that we go out for ice cream together after class.
I hope that you get to do something fun with someone that you love.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Do you have a special family member in your life with whom you get to spend time?
I am taking a college course with our daughter Chloe and enjoying every minute of it. I love watching her learn and be a popular member of the class. The best part is that she loves having me there with her, so we get to bond.
Another big plus is that we go out for ice cream together after class.
I hope that you get to do something fun with someone that you love.
Love, Sue
Friday, February 21, 2014
Moment of Rest
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever laid under a tree as a child watching the wind blow through the branches?
This morning I got to sleep in which is a rare occasion for me and I enjoyed feeling the dog snuggle up to my right side while the cat snuggled up to my left. I cracked open the curtain to see the wind whipping the branches of the tree just outside of our bedroom window.
It took me back to my childhood when I spent whole days playing under the limbs of the willows in our yard, often watching the movement of the branches in the wind. I loved that time in my life, when I had all the time in the world to daydream and observe everything that caught my fancy. I loved petting caterpillars, building nests for birds out of dried grass clippings and dressing our kittens up in doll clothes.
Whenever I am called back into that innocent world by some smell or sight, I relax and feel the joy of being alive.
I hope that you get transported back into some of your happiest memories by some pleasant trigger sometime soon.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever laid under a tree as a child watching the wind blow through the branches?
This morning I got to sleep in which is a rare occasion for me and I enjoyed feeling the dog snuggle up to my right side while the cat snuggled up to my left. I cracked open the curtain to see the wind whipping the branches of the tree just outside of our bedroom window.
It took me back to my childhood when I spent whole days playing under the limbs of the willows in our yard, often watching the movement of the branches in the wind. I loved that time in my life, when I had all the time in the world to daydream and observe everything that caught my fancy. I loved petting caterpillars, building nests for birds out of dried grass clippings and dressing our kittens up in doll clothes.
Whenever I am called back into that innocent world by some smell or sight, I relax and feel the joy of being alive.
I hope that you get transported back into some of your happiest memories by some pleasant trigger sometime soon.
Love, Sue
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Painting Slowly
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever thought that you couldn't do something and then found out that you could?
This morning my arm and shoulder hurt a lot from too much painting lately and I thought I would have to rest instead of painting today. But I was excited about my projects and wanted to move forward anyway, so I tried painting very slowly. I was surprised to discover that I was able to paint all day long.
The act of painting slowly was enjoyable to me. Usually I am in a hurry and thinking about the finished project, but today I was with my friends from my art group, so I focused on the conversation and the process of spreading paint onto the canvas.
It felt great to be a slow poke and not feel guilty about it.
I hope that you will also get a chance to savor the process of doing your favorite work in the near future.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever thought that you couldn't do something and then found out that you could?
This morning my arm and shoulder hurt a lot from too much painting lately and I thought I would have to rest instead of painting today. But I was excited about my projects and wanted to move forward anyway, so I tried painting very slowly. I was surprised to discover that I was able to paint all day long.
The act of painting slowly was enjoyable to me. Usually I am in a hurry and thinking about the finished project, but today I was with my friends from my art group, so I focused on the conversation and the process of spreading paint onto the canvas.
It felt great to be a slow poke and not feel guilty about it.
I hope that you will also get a chance to savor the process of doing your favorite work in the near future.
Love, Sue
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Blue Bird in Winter
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever spotted a blue bird in winter? I saw one yesterday as it crossed my path while I was driving. Joy swelled in my heart!
I always feel God's hand in my life when I see a bluebird. To me it is a sign that God has something special in store for me and today I sold a painting before the oil paint was dry on the canvas!
I have been praying and asking God if it's time to go back to the pulpit as a pastor or if I will be able to make a living with my art ministry. I feel like I got an answer.
I hope that you have a sense of God's presence in your life leading you down the path to the best blessings that God wants to give to you.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever spotted a blue bird in winter? I saw one yesterday as it crossed my path while I was driving. Joy swelled in my heart!
I always feel God's hand in my life when I see a bluebird. To me it is a sign that God has something special in store for me and today I sold a painting before the oil paint was dry on the canvas!
I have been praying and asking God if it's time to go back to the pulpit as a pastor or if I will be able to make a living with my art ministry. I feel like I got an answer.
I hope that you have a sense of God's presence in your life leading you down the path to the best blessings that God wants to give to you.
Love, Sue
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
February Thaw
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
How many of you are experiencing crazy weather? Our winter in MI has been so cold and snowy, it leads me to believe that the earth may be changing axis points and Santa will move in next door with the elves to set up a toy shop!
Today was the first day in forever that the temperature rose to above freezing which meant that the deep snow in our yard was perfect for packing. After dinner all five of our teens (4 are foreign exchange students from warm climates) went outdoors with Roger and me to build a snow sculpture of our family.
We now have 7 snow people lined up along the sidewalk to greet our neighbors. Our foreign kids had never played in snow before so it was as if they were little children playing in snow for the first time. What fun!
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
How many of you are experiencing crazy weather? Our winter in MI has been so cold and snowy, it leads me to believe that the earth may be changing axis points and Santa will move in next door with the elves to set up a toy shop!
Today was the first day in forever that the temperature rose to above freezing which meant that the deep snow in our yard was perfect for packing. After dinner all five of our teens (4 are foreign exchange students from warm climates) went outdoors with Roger and me to build a snow sculpture of our family.
We now have 7 snow people lined up along the sidewalk to greet our neighbors. Our foreign kids had never played in snow before so it was as if they were little children playing in snow for the first time. What fun!
Love, Sue
Monday, February 17, 2014
Changing It Up
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever heard of intuitive painting? There is an excellent book by Flora Bowley called, "Brave Intuitive Painting" that I followed for a whole year in 2013. My goal was to do a painting a day and it was great fun trying to accomplish that, even though I had to slow down for awhile due to other responsibilities.
Intuitive painting is process oriented and the idea is to paint without planning ahead, to allow the splashes and marks to lead the artist into uncharted territory. I ended up painting images that I never would have done if I were relying on my conscious brain to lead me. It expanded my horizons completely.
Now I am on a different path again this year in 2014. I am creating several different series of paintings that I think will appeal to a wider, more popular audience than what I was reaching before. My process is different. I make plans, do research and draw sketches before I start. I work on a number of canvases at a time filling in backgrounds first and then painting my animals in the foreground.
Today I decided to try to do a single painting and to try to finish it in one sitting. It was such a different way of working, I almost forgot how to do it! Before I finished, I was interrupted and needed to give my kids a ride, but I came close to completing it.
During the process I started painting dandelion leaves in great detail from memory and all of a sudden I was a youth again sitting in the grass tying dandelions into a chain for a necklace. It was a wonderful memory.
The detailed imagery had to go because it wasn't working, but I'm glad for the time I spent doing it and the memory it evoked.
If you get a chance to try some intuitive painting, I highly recommend it. The first thing to remember is that whatever you do is right!
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever heard of intuitive painting? There is an excellent book by Flora Bowley called, "Brave Intuitive Painting" that I followed for a whole year in 2013. My goal was to do a painting a day and it was great fun trying to accomplish that, even though I had to slow down for awhile due to other responsibilities.
Intuitive painting is process oriented and the idea is to paint without planning ahead, to allow the splashes and marks to lead the artist into uncharted territory. I ended up painting images that I never would have done if I were relying on my conscious brain to lead me. It expanded my horizons completely.
Now I am on a different path again this year in 2014. I am creating several different series of paintings that I think will appeal to a wider, more popular audience than what I was reaching before. My process is different. I make plans, do research and draw sketches before I start. I work on a number of canvases at a time filling in backgrounds first and then painting my animals in the foreground.
Today I decided to try to do a single painting and to try to finish it in one sitting. It was such a different way of working, I almost forgot how to do it! Before I finished, I was interrupted and needed to give my kids a ride, but I came close to completing it.
During the process I started painting dandelion leaves in great detail from memory and all of a sudden I was a youth again sitting in the grass tying dandelions into a chain for a necklace. It was a wonderful memory.
The detailed imagery had to go because it wasn't working, but I'm glad for the time I spent doing it and the memory it evoked.
If you get a chance to try some intuitive painting, I highly recommend it. The first thing to remember is that whatever you do is right!
Love, Sue
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Hello Again!
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones!
I'm sorry that I left my blog for awhile to make time for my day job, but now I'm back to being a fulltime artist again and have time to connect. Hooray!
Day jobs are great for buying groceries, but nothing satisfies the soul like painting all day long throughout the work week. When I feel the creaminess of the wet paint gliding from my brush onto the canvas I get a thrill that warms my heart, tickles my brain and puts me into contact with divine thought.
I become a co-creator with Christ watching the creation unfold before my eyes. I am a child again, under the willow tree, peeling the bark off from a branch to whittle it into an arrow for my handmade bow. All is right with the world.
Anyone can enter into this state of mind simply by doodling to music. It's restful and relaxing. I hope that you get a chance to experience it soon.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones!
I'm sorry that I left my blog for awhile to make time for my day job, but now I'm back to being a fulltime artist again and have time to connect. Hooray!
Day jobs are great for buying groceries, but nothing satisfies the soul like painting all day long throughout the work week. When I feel the creaminess of the wet paint gliding from my brush onto the canvas I get a thrill that warms my heart, tickles my brain and puts me into contact with divine thought.
I become a co-creator with Christ watching the creation unfold before my eyes. I am a child again, under the willow tree, peeling the bark off from a branch to whittle it into an arrow for my handmade bow. All is right with the world.
Anyone can enter into this state of mind simply by doodling to music. It's restful and relaxing. I hope that you get a chance to experience it soon.
Love, Sue
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Website
Dear Friends,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Our son created a new website for my art and if you wish to visit it please click on www.suetrowbridgeart.com
Thank you.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Our son created a new website for my art and if you wish to visit it please click on www.suetrowbridgeart.com
Thank you.
Love, Sue
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Our Big Brother
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
Do you have a loved one who has acheived high honors!
Our older brother. David, continues to make us proud at every turn. This time we all got to go to MSU to see him receive an Honory Doctorate in Humanities and deliver a speech at commencement. We are all bursting our buttons with pride.
Being the younger sibling of a brilliant philanthropist has not always been easy, especially in school when teachers expected the same academic acheivement and honorable character as our older brother, but as hard as it was, it was a blessing. He inspired us to reach for the greater good in our work and charity to others.
It would be easy to feel like we are less in comparison to him, but time and life have taught us to simply be proud of him and celebrate his acheivements without diminishing our own. We are a unified group of siblings who cherish one another, even though we tease hard. We can be happy for one another without feeling badly about ourselves.
The dinner we celebrated was great fun, with delicious food, fine wines, and abundant laughter. We retired to finely decorated hotel rooms that were provided by the university and met for breakfast the next morning. Parting was such sweet sorrow.
When I came home, our house was cluttered and I had to clean it right away. Returning to normal life after living in an idyllic world for 24 hours took a little time. But it was lovely to come home to a sweet husband and two beautiful teens who make good choices.
Now it is five days later. We have had a magical time cutting and decorating our Christams tree, especially considering that it is our daughter's first Christmas. We snuggled on the couch under a blanket to watch "A Christmas Story" which is my favorite holiday movie. Phoebe sang in a Christmas Choir concert which was glorious. We all went back to work or school and the house is cluttered again.
It's time to recreate the magic of our home at the holidays, clean, well decorated, with delicious scents coming from the kitchen, and Nat King Cole singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
Do you have a loved one who has acheived high honors!
Our older brother. David, continues to make us proud at every turn. This time we all got to go to MSU to see him receive an Honory Doctorate in Humanities and deliver a speech at commencement. We are all bursting our buttons with pride.
Being the younger sibling of a brilliant philanthropist has not always been easy, especially in school when teachers expected the same academic acheivement and honorable character as our older brother, but as hard as it was, it was a blessing. He inspired us to reach for the greater good in our work and charity to others.
It would be easy to feel like we are less in comparison to him, but time and life have taught us to simply be proud of him and celebrate his acheivements without diminishing our own. We are a unified group of siblings who cherish one another, even though we tease hard. We can be happy for one another without feeling badly about ourselves.
The dinner we celebrated was great fun, with delicious food, fine wines, and abundant laughter. We retired to finely decorated hotel rooms that were provided by the university and met for breakfast the next morning. Parting was such sweet sorrow.
When I came home, our house was cluttered and I had to clean it right away. Returning to normal life after living in an idyllic world for 24 hours took a little time. But it was lovely to come home to a sweet husband and two beautiful teens who make good choices.
Now it is five days later. We have had a magical time cutting and decorating our Christams tree, especially considering that it is our daughter's first Christmas. We snuggled on the couch under a blanket to watch "A Christmas Story" which is my favorite holiday movie. Phoebe sang in a Christmas Choir concert which was glorious. We all went back to work or school and the house is cluttered again.
It's time to recreate the magic of our home at the holidays, clean, well decorated, with delicious scents coming from the kitchen, and Nat King Cole singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."
Love, Sue
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Catching Up
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
Do you have a loved one with whom you are so bonded that it doesn't matter how long it's been since you saw one another, it feels like no time has passed at all?
That's how I feel when I get together with my siblings. My sister, Debbie and I spent a day together on the prettiest day in October when the colors were at the peak of their glory to drive over to Lake Michigan. When we stopped to buy stain for her deck, I spotted a box of giant red tulip bulbs and bought them on impulse to plant in my garden as a reminder of the lovely day that we were enjoying.
After lunch we stained Deb's deck and still had time to put together a vintage Norman Rockwell puzzle called "Off to Collage" before hosting an intimate dinner for Dad and Bev. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. The only down side was that Dad was greiving over Max the loyal dog that I gave to Dad when Max was still a puppy, as a surprize.
Lazy me set the bulbs aside for a few weeks until Deb returned in November for another sister puzzle day. Just before she arrived I planted the bulbs as a reminder of that day as well.
Time with my siblings is especially sweet and tender because of the loss we feel from losing our youngest sister in a car accident when she was 33 years old. We understand the value of a sibling; no one else shares all of those memories.
Sometimes I hear people talk about conflict with their siblings and wish that they too understood how important siblings can be. However I do not wish that they go through what we did to discover this knowledge.
I am often reminded of how short and precious life is and how lucky we are to have people in our lives with whom we can share love and joy.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
Do you have a loved one with whom you are so bonded that it doesn't matter how long it's been since you saw one another, it feels like no time has passed at all?
That's how I feel when I get together with my siblings. My sister, Debbie and I spent a day together on the prettiest day in October when the colors were at the peak of their glory to drive over to Lake Michigan. When we stopped to buy stain for her deck, I spotted a box of giant red tulip bulbs and bought them on impulse to plant in my garden as a reminder of the lovely day that we were enjoying.
After lunch we stained Deb's deck and still had time to put together a vintage Norman Rockwell puzzle called "Off to Collage" before hosting an intimate dinner for Dad and Bev. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. The only down side was that Dad was greiving over Max the loyal dog that I gave to Dad when Max was still a puppy, as a surprize.
Lazy me set the bulbs aside for a few weeks until Deb returned in November for another sister puzzle day. Just before she arrived I planted the bulbs as a reminder of that day as well.
Time with my siblings is especially sweet and tender because of the loss we feel from losing our youngest sister in a car accident when she was 33 years old. We understand the value of a sibling; no one else shares all of those memories.
Sometimes I hear people talk about conflict with their siblings and wish that they too understood how important siblings can be. However I do not wish that they go through what we did to discover this knowledge.
I am often reminded of how short and precious life is and how lucky we are to have people in our lives with whom we can share love and joy.
Love, Sue
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Lost and Found
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
It's been forever since I wrote to you and I apologize. I took a job as an activities provider at a memory care facility and have been working a lot. Plus we added a new member to our family!
We now have a foreign exchange daughter from Vietnam named Phoebe and we consider her to be our real daughter, a gift from God, an answer to a deep desire/prayer that I have harbored for decades. I am 56 and I finally got my girl!
She is a beauty beyond compare, brilliant, charming, artistic, musical, hardworking, compassionate, devoted and affectionate. She's more than I could ever hope for in a daughter and I am blessed by every moment that she spends in our home.
Phoebe and Seth get along as though they have been brother and sister for all of their lives. He is 15 and she is 17. He hides behind doors and jumps out at her when she walks through them, making his scariest monster noises to scare the daylights out of her. She screams, chases and threatens in her tiny sweet voice, "I'm going to kill you!" which is the reaction he was hoping to hear.
Anyway, we received our first real snow of the season yesterday and this was Phoebe's very first opportunity to play in the snow. We took photos, built snow sculptures, made snow angels, then played Fox and Geese all of which was great fun! When Phoebe got cold we went in and she discovered that her cell phone was missing, so we went back out to look for it.
As we searched I heard the church bells playing the hymn "Take It to the Lord in Prayer" which gave me hope that God was reassuring us that we would find it. I had already started to pray and was hoping to find it right away. After a half an hour of looking, Seth gave up and went into the house to make lunch.
I offered to buy Phoebe a new phone, but she replied, "No Mom, it's too expensive. I will find it." She then picked up a stick and proceeded to dig through every square inch of snow in our backyard which spans about an acre of land. I was impressed with her dogged determination and was reminded of the tenacity of the Vietnamese people during the war digging underground tunnels and then replanting the trees after the country had been defoliated by Agent Orange.
My love for Phoebe kept me out there looking as the hours passed slowly with my tummy growling and my ears getting cold. Disappointment and frustration swelled in my chest, but was counterbalanced by the joy of spending time with Phoebe in a perfectly beautiful setting. Out of the neighbors woods came the delightful song of the bird called a phoebe which is how our daughter got her name. "Do you hear that bird singing?" I inquired.
She repeated the song "Phoebe, phoebe, phoebe!" then gave me a smile and wrinkled her nose.
"From now on when I hear that song I will think about this moment with you looking through the snow for your phone!" I replied.
I knew how important the phone was, because our girl uses it to record the lectures at school so she can listen again at home to catch the words she missed. Besides, she accidentally shut her old phone in the car door two weeks earlier and her uncle replaced it for her.
I took a break and asked Seth to please pray for us to find the phone and he agreed. When I returned to the backyard a thought came into my mind of where the phone might be, so I went to the spot and swept the area with my feet. My boot struck an object, so I took off my glove to gently retrieve the cell phone from the cold wet snow. Holding it in the air I started to dance and shout "Praise the Lord!"
Phoebe bounded over to check the device to see if it was working and it was, so we flew into the house. I said to Seth, "Tell me the truth, did you just pray?" He nodded and Phoebe hugged him.
Brother got to be the hero, Mom got to be the companion, Sister got to be the recipient of a small miracle. We all got be the storytellers at suppertime when Daddy came home.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
It's been forever since I wrote to you and I apologize. I took a job as an activities provider at a memory care facility and have been working a lot. Plus we added a new member to our family!
We now have a foreign exchange daughter from Vietnam named Phoebe and we consider her to be our real daughter, a gift from God, an answer to a deep desire/prayer that I have harbored for decades. I am 56 and I finally got my girl!
She is a beauty beyond compare, brilliant, charming, artistic, musical, hardworking, compassionate, devoted and affectionate. She's more than I could ever hope for in a daughter and I am blessed by every moment that she spends in our home.
Phoebe and Seth get along as though they have been brother and sister for all of their lives. He is 15 and she is 17. He hides behind doors and jumps out at her when she walks through them, making his scariest monster noises to scare the daylights out of her. She screams, chases and threatens in her tiny sweet voice, "I'm going to kill you!" which is the reaction he was hoping to hear.
Anyway, we received our first real snow of the season yesterday and this was Phoebe's very first opportunity to play in the snow. We took photos, built snow sculptures, made snow angels, then played Fox and Geese all of which was great fun! When Phoebe got cold we went in and she discovered that her cell phone was missing, so we went back out to look for it.
As we searched I heard the church bells playing the hymn "Take It to the Lord in Prayer" which gave me hope that God was reassuring us that we would find it. I had already started to pray and was hoping to find it right away. After a half an hour of looking, Seth gave up and went into the house to make lunch.
I offered to buy Phoebe a new phone, but she replied, "No Mom, it's too expensive. I will find it." She then picked up a stick and proceeded to dig through every square inch of snow in our backyard which spans about an acre of land. I was impressed with her dogged determination and was reminded of the tenacity of the Vietnamese people during the war digging underground tunnels and then replanting the trees after the country had been defoliated by Agent Orange.
My love for Phoebe kept me out there looking as the hours passed slowly with my tummy growling and my ears getting cold. Disappointment and frustration swelled in my chest, but was counterbalanced by the joy of spending time with Phoebe in a perfectly beautiful setting. Out of the neighbors woods came the delightful song of the bird called a phoebe which is how our daughter got her name. "Do you hear that bird singing?" I inquired.
She repeated the song "Phoebe, phoebe, phoebe!" then gave me a smile and wrinkled her nose.
"From now on when I hear that song I will think about this moment with you looking through the snow for your phone!" I replied.
I knew how important the phone was, because our girl uses it to record the lectures at school so she can listen again at home to catch the words she missed. Besides, she accidentally shut her old phone in the car door two weeks earlier and her uncle replaced it for her.
I took a break and asked Seth to please pray for us to find the phone and he agreed. When I returned to the backyard a thought came into my mind of where the phone might be, so I went to the spot and swept the area with my feet. My boot struck an object, so I took off my glove to gently retrieve the cell phone from the cold wet snow. Holding it in the air I started to dance and shout "Praise the Lord!"
Phoebe bounded over to check the device to see if it was working and it was, so we flew into the house. I said to Seth, "Tell me the truth, did you just pray?" He nodded and Phoebe hugged him.
Brother got to be the hero, Mom got to be the companion, Sister got to be the recipient of a small miracle. We all got be the storytellers at suppertime when Daddy came home.
Love, Sue
Monday, August 8, 2011
Indigo Buntings
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
This summer I have spotted 3 Indigo Buntings and the only other time I ever spotted one was 30 years ago at Mackinaw Island. I am amazed!
So often I am saddened by the news of climate change and the decrease in the number of butterflies I spot. It is heartening to observe some joyful news!
I love God's creation with all of my heart!
I want to do everything I can to restore and preserve it.
Love, Suzie
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
This summer I have spotted 3 Indigo Buntings and the only other time I ever spotted one was 30 years ago at Mackinaw Island. I am amazed!
So often I am saddened by the news of climate change and the decrease in the number of butterflies I spot. It is heartening to observe some joyful news!
I love God's creation with all of my heart!
I want to do everything I can to restore and preserve it.
Love, Suzie
Monday, August 1, 2011
Goodbye Kitty
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
We said goodbye to our beloved kitty the other day. He is pushing daisies in the backyard, but I believe that his spirit is with God in heaven. I know that some churches don't believe that animals have souls, but I see it differently.
In the Book of Genesis it talks about God forming animals and breathing his breath into them the same as he did with human beings.
Also animals can love. God is love. The whole reason for being alive is to love.
Our cat purred up to the moment he died. He was all about loving and showing affection. I hope that I can "purr" up to the moment I die as well. I never want to outlive my ability to love and feel joy.
Much love, Suzie
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
We said goodbye to our beloved kitty the other day. He is pushing daisies in the backyard, but I believe that his spirit is with God in heaven. I know that some churches don't believe that animals have souls, but I see it differently.
In the Book of Genesis it talks about God forming animals and breathing his breath into them the same as he did with human beings.
Also animals can love. God is love. The whole reason for being alive is to love.
Our cat purred up to the moment he died. He was all about loving and showing affection. I hope that I can "purr" up to the moment I die as well. I never want to outlive my ability to love and feel joy.
Much love, Suzie
Monday, July 18, 2011
Changing Focus
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
My boss offered me more hours at work and I took them. My vocational focus has changed from creating art most of the time to providing activities in an Alzheimer's home.
Of course I reserve time for God, my family, friends, church and myself.
I paint one day a week now which is enough to keep me happy and healthy.
I love my job! I love seeing the older people smile when they have completed an art project or catch a ball, etc.. There is nothing like having busy hands to make a person happy.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!
My boss offered me more hours at work and I took them. My vocational focus has changed from creating art most of the time to providing activities in an Alzheimer's home.
Of course I reserve time for God, my family, friends, church and myself.
I paint one day a week now which is enough to keep me happy and healthy.
I love my job! I love seeing the older people smile when they have completed an art project or catch a ball, etc.. There is nothing like having busy hands to make a person happy.
Love, Sue
Monday, July 11, 2011
Vacation at the Lake
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, yours and your ministries today!
There is nothing like diving into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan to wash away all of one's stress. It works like magic. After diving in about 20 times there was no way that stress could even think of coming near me. My stress level was far into the negative numbers!
Later when I felt the tug toward allowing negativity into my psyche a thought crossed my mind. I started calling myself "Stressfree Susie savory summer." It worked so I kept using it every time I felt my shoulders muscles tighten.
It takes practice, but I can do it more easily each day with larger triggers. I believe that I will be able to continue this practice until it becomes second nature and I can escape my historical weakness with stress management. What a liberation this is for me!
Since joining Weight Watchers last summer, I have been practicing the concept of being kind to myself and treating myself as I would treat my good friends. This stressfree thinking is one of the kindest things I ever did for myself!
Needless to say I had an awesome vacation and so did my family!
Love, Sue
God bless you, yours and your ministries today!
There is nothing like diving into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan to wash away all of one's stress. It works like magic. After diving in about 20 times there was no way that stress could even think of coming near me. My stress level was far into the negative numbers!
Later when I felt the tug toward allowing negativity into my psyche a thought crossed my mind. I started calling myself "Stressfree Susie savory summer." It worked so I kept using it every time I felt my shoulders muscles tighten.
It takes practice, but I can do it more easily each day with larger triggers. I believe that I will be able to continue this practice until it becomes second nature and I can escape my historical weakness with stress management. What a liberation this is for me!
Since joining Weight Watchers last summer, I have been practicing the concept of being kind to myself and treating myself as I would treat my good friends. This stressfree thinking is one of the kindest things I ever did for myself!
Needless to say I had an awesome vacation and so did my family!
Love, Sue
Monday, June 27, 2011
To Everything There Is a Season
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, yours and your ministries this week!
Our strawberry patch has been coming on like gangbusters for the past couple of weeks. Roger and I like to go out together to pick and it feels so right. Making freezer jam together for Father's Day is a ritual for us as a couple.
When we were newly weds and I did it for the first time, he remarked, "This jam is even better than my grandmother's!" (Wise words!) The next year when I did it, he sat down at the kitchen table, looked at the rows of jam with admiration and exuded, "I feel like I do on payday!" (Even wiser words!) You can see how it became a tradition.
I love going through the seasons with my loved ones, practicing our seasonal rituals which bring us even closer together. Life is awesome!
Love, Sue
God bless you, yours and your ministries this week!
Our strawberry patch has been coming on like gangbusters for the past couple of weeks. Roger and I like to go out together to pick and it feels so right. Making freezer jam together for Father's Day is a ritual for us as a couple.
When we were newly weds and I did it for the first time, he remarked, "This jam is even better than my grandmother's!" (Wise words!) The next year when I did it, he sat down at the kitchen table, looked at the rows of jam with admiration and exuded, "I feel like I do on payday!" (Even wiser words!) You can see how it became a tradition.
I love going through the seasons with my loved ones, practicing our seasonal rituals which bring us even closer together. Life is awesome!
Love, Sue
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
New Job
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, yours and your ministries today!
I'm sorry for neglecting you all lately, but everything I've done lately, I've done lately.
The reason is because I am getting used to a new job after being a full time artist for 6 years. The good news is I have a pay check. The bad news is I have less time to paint.
The job is working at Sensations Memory Care Residence as an Activities Director. The people and the work are wonderful. I can honestly say that I love my job.
My stepson, Rob, owns the business so he is my boss, but really God is my boss. I try to do everything I do to please God. When I am comforting a resident I am comforting Christ.
I live for the smiles that the residents give. I love helping a person make something and then see them smile at it with intense pleasure. There is nothing like it.
Many of the residents are in need of guidance to find their way around the facility. Their non verbal responses to the love I offer to them is very gratifying. They eat up the least little amount of affection and kindness.
Yesterday we constructed birdhouses and decorated them. One woman absolutely fell in love with hers.
This feels right for this time in my life. I still paint at least one day a week and hope for the day when I can easily afford to do it full time again.
Love, Sue
God bless you, yours and your ministries today!
I'm sorry for neglecting you all lately, but everything I've done lately, I've done lately.
The reason is because I am getting used to a new job after being a full time artist for 6 years. The good news is I have a pay check. The bad news is I have less time to paint.
The job is working at Sensations Memory Care Residence as an Activities Director. The people and the work are wonderful. I can honestly say that I love my job.
My stepson, Rob, owns the business so he is my boss, but really God is my boss. I try to do everything I do to please God. When I am comforting a resident I am comforting Christ.
I live for the smiles that the residents give. I love helping a person make something and then see them smile at it with intense pleasure. There is nothing like it.
Many of the residents are in need of guidance to find their way around the facility. Their non verbal responses to the love I offer to them is very gratifying. They eat up the least little amount of affection and kindness.
Yesterday we constructed birdhouses and decorated them. One woman absolutely fell in love with hers.
This feels right for this time in my life. I still paint at least one day a week and hope for the day when I can easily afford to do it full time again.
Love, Sue
Monday, May 23, 2011
Lost in the Woods
Dear Loved Ones,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Once a week I try to do something fun for an hour or so as a favor to myself. This week I went for a walk in the woods with our dog and got lost. I loved being lost because it felt like an adventure and as long as I didn't get tired I knew I would find my way. After about a half an hour of hiking I recognized a land mark and came back to reality.
It was very satisfying to my soul to get lost and then find my way again.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Once a week I try to do something fun for an hour or so as a favor to myself. This week I went for a walk in the woods with our dog and got lost. I loved being lost because it felt like an adventure and as long as I didn't get tired I knew I would find my way. After about a half an hour of hiking I recognized a land mark and came back to reality.
It was very satisfying to my soul to get lost and then find my way again.
Love, Sue
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