Words i Wish i Wrote – Tru Original

Category: Words i Wish i Wrote

The 5th Station of the Cross

I was commissioned, along w a few other sacred artist in 2017 to illustrate a book with meditations on the Stations of the Cross. I love collaborating with creatives to build up the body of Christ!

This reflection is not that book, but sharing the image i painted above. This meditation is from a book i picked up in Medjugorje in 2018, written by Tomislav Ivancic. I love these reflections so much that i visit this book all year long! Im so glad i get to share them here with you.

Fifth Station of the Cross, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross.

Allowing others to help you…

Nobody respected me. So many people did I cure, but even they left me, just like those who I was close to. Full of wounds and full of blood, shaken after meeting my mother, I needed loving hands to support me.

The only one who came had to be forced. I longed for help given in compassion and love. Simon had to be forced. Simon had to be forced to help me. It is a cross to find nobody willing to suffer with you in love. If you accept it, you are no longer alone in suffering because I am with you.

And something else. Have courage to allow others to help you. I did it, too, although I am omnipotent. Let others surpass you, let them take care of you, admit it that you need them.

This is a cross and you cannot avoid it. Learn to understand that it is a door to me. Don’t be astonished if all in you opposes this cross, for the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit, what is contrary to the sinful nature. Gal 5:17.

Receive your cross and follow me so you are with me.

“Don’t be afraid to carry the Cross. There is my Son to help you.” message April 5th, 1985

Running with the Scissors

Sunshine MW quote with website

This week, I came across this poem from Marianne Williamson and every bit of my heart yelled out “TRUTH”. I read this poem some years ago, but the word TRUTH didn’t come to mind. Maybe the word was bullshit, or lie, or what a load of crap. Regardless, I was not in a place in my life when I could recognize that I had a light and what it would mean if I let it shine.

Even now, when I know that all of us are born with gifts, talents, and “lights”, I sometimes hold back. Why? I could point to many reasons why I hold back…fear that my gifts won’t measure up (to whom I’m not sure), fear that someone will demand something of my gifts and I will be obligated (commitment phob), fear that I will become stifled and unable to produce ( bored and trapped)…ugh! It really doesn’t matter what the fear is telling me because the job of this fear is simply to put out my light. To extinguish the excitement, the courage, the joy, the trust and hold me in a place of stagnation. This fear is the lie that holds us all captive and redirects us from the “Glory of God that is within us”.

So, the image I kept getting in my head all week as I meditated on this poem was a little girl running with scissors. The little girl doesn’t know how dangerous it is to run with scissors, she’s innocent, and she’s not even thinking about the scissors…she’s running ahead to the next paper doll, or snow flake, ready to do what she does…shine.

If you follow me on Facebook or you’re part of my Art and Soul Prompts group, you know that it’s been all about courage and slaying the fear monster this month. You may recognize the above image as our April Soul prompt. if you don’t, be part of the group. I would love to support you along the way.

One last thing, I want to give you a little gift, the above image titled Own Your Light graphic . Print it off and hang it in a place that you will see it first thing in the morning…the mirror, the coffeemaker, the shower door. But don’t just look at it, read the words and believe in Your Light.

Own your light, it’s who you are, a child of God.

Love Song – Adele

Close your eyes….breath deep….look into the eyes of your Lord as He reaches His hand out to you…take it.

whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am home again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am whole again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am young again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am fun again
however far away
i will always love you
however long i stay
i will always love you
whatever words i say
i will always love you
i will always love you
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am free again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am clean again
however far away
i will always love you
however long i stay
i will always love you
whatever words i say
i will always love you
i will always love you
lyrics by The Cure. (fitting because yes He is…The Cure:)

Isaiah 61:1-3
“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion — to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.”

Oh how He loves us!

The Freeze

To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
Mother Teresa

Here in the Mid-West, Indianapolis to be exact, we are going through a deep freeze. I woke up this morning to 2 inches of ice and wind gust of up to 50 miles an hour! Crazy stuff with trees and power lines falling down.

You know what is really crazy? That’s how I feel spiritually right know. Before my feet hit the floor this morning, i spent some time with the Lord and I asked Him to forgive me for my sins and give me back the deep emotion that comes from loving Him. If the feeling I have is a feeling of familiarity or complacency, I don’t want it. I never for one minute want to take for granted His love, but lately it feels like i have.

So what has changed? I’m doing all the same things to be close to Him. I’m active in my Church and prayer life, as well as alms giving and ministering to those in need. But as much as I don’t want to admit it, without the emotion, I am just going through the motions of loving Him.

Kinda like I do with my family sometimes, another thing I don’t want to admit. And though I put myself there sometimes, they (HE) still loves me.

I can’t help but think of Mother Teresa, who went through a 50 year period which she calls a dark night of the soul. St Francis also experienced this as it is said he felt unworthy of God grace. And lets not forget Job, wow! Talk about a dark night of the soul! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not even in the same ballpark as these souls, not even the parking lot of the ballpark! But it does give me some reassurence to know that dark nights happen sometimes.

What are we to learn from being away from Him?

Could God be testing me?

Is He testing my faith?

When the freeze comes will I fall like the mighty trees and power lines?

They look so strong.

Or will I bend like the willow and find shelter like the birds?

They look so fragile… I feel so fragile.

I guess I was a little to comfortable in that peace He was giving me:)

Psalms 27:13-14

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

When I climb down the mountain
and get back to my life
I won’t settle for ordinary things

Third Day

TRU 2011

“Be true to yourself.

Knowing who you are

– that’s the foundation for everything great.”

Jay Z

GONE 20×16″ encaustic

Jay Z is just so cool, I don’t even like rap, but he is smooth and I would probably like his music.

That quote really hit me when I heard it. Being TRUE is a process as it takes time to know who we were truly made to be. God has had His hands full with me and I have fought Him most of my life. Being rather proud to call myself a fighter in the past, I now view it as my biggest defeat. I could have surrendered to Him sooner but I know He knew what He was getting into. And anyway this post is not about regret or mistakes, it is about hope. Hope that a new year will bring me closer to the greatness of who God has made me to be. Do I know myself yet? YES!!! I can say at 39 years young, I finally know myself. And what I know about myself is God made me to be uniquely me and He’s not finished with me yet. Stubborn and crazy, deep and aloof, creative and quirky, caring and empathic, just me. And if that’s good enough for Him then who I am to argue with the Lord of all?

In 2011, I pray that we will all continue to surrender to Him, day by day, moment by moment. I don’t know about you but this surrendering thing is a process for me and sometimes I need to take it a minute at a time. But my Father knew that when He made me and today to sit in that love is the foundation of my life.

in 2007 when I started my art business I called it TRU original. T.R.U. means The Real U.

That’s our destiny, that’s our purpose.

Be safe tonight and enjoy YOURSELF!

Happy Advent!

Let these words sink deep down…He is the truth and the light.

If you don’t know Him, stop running and seek Him and He will satisfy.

“The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalms 145:8-9

I pray that ADVENT ( means coming) is filled with many opportunities to know Him more.

My Sweet Girl is 11!

My Little Baby is 11 years old…..

LAUREN

Caring heart

big goof ball

intelligent

stubborn

artistic and creative

‘look at me, look at me’

sensitive

God loving

strong willed

On the day you were born, your Dad and I could have never prepared our hearts for the love and joy you would bring into our lives. Our sweet gift from God, always treasured, always loved, always…..

DRIVING US UP THE WALL!!

***************************

I’ve missed visiting with you all these last few weeks. Life had other plan for me. I did the best I could and now I get to take a breather and rest in Him.

My prayer for you my friend is that when you grow weary, you will rest in Him. You don’t have to fall, you can just stop and rest. And if you do fall, I hope you will look to the Son as He carried the cross. He fell many times and was helped back up by others. He even allowed someone else (Simon) to carry the cross for awhile. Even HE couldn’t do it on His own.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, whose most dear Son, as He walked the way of the Cross, accepted the service of Simon of Cyrene to carry his physical burden for him: mercifully grant unto each of us the grace that we may gladly bear one another’s burdens, for the love of him who said, “In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,” even the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever.

Amen