Gallery Wednesday - Judges wrap-up

I did this little piece of art in the front cover of a book I was studying. It's in the form of a tattoo and was done in colored pencils.

To tell you about my drawing above and give my wrap-up of Judges, I'll tell you a funny method I've used for memorizing scripture.

One of the very first verses I memorized was Philippians 1:21: For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. But after that I had a lot of trouble memorizing scripture. I decided the problem was that I couldn't remember the numbers. To solve the problem, I decided to memorize all the 1:21 and 21:1 verses in the Bible instead. I mean, it's not like there are any bad verses in the Bible to memorize, right?

He Means What He says and He Says What He Means

The book of Judges is written in a very matter-of-fact style: this happened and then this happened. This form has not endeared this book to me. I want to know how these people were feeling when they made their decisions. What was going through their mind. Were they conflicted? How did they get to where they are in these events? So many questions.

But this methodical rhythm of chronicling Israel's history does make the points of Judges very clear. An obvious one is that God means what He says and says what He means. Although this seems seriously harsh because of the repercussions Israel suffered, it really is good news. For example it reminded me of one of those 21:1 verses I memorized.

The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised. - Genesis 21:1

What a profound little verse! You can almost hear the sarcasm in the writers tone. He's sort of rubbing it in that God made a promise and, oh, look at that, He kept it. So even if we doubt Him or try to take things into our own hands, God still means what He says. It tells me I can hold Him to it. I can count on all those promises He's made me for an abundant life.

Choose Life

God had an abundant life in mind for Israel. You can go back to when He explained how tremendously great things could be now that they were no longer enslaved in Egypt and His very chosen people:

Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other. What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess. - Deuteronomy 30:15-16

Wow! Life, prosperity, numerous, and blessed. Doesn't seem like a hard choice, huh? Just love Him, pursue Him, and Obey Him. That's it, right?

Guard Your Heart

So, given this clear three-step process for an abundant life, how is it that so few, like Hannah and Samuel, end up making the choice for life when so many in Israel didn't? A verse I learned recently about life is Proverbs 4:23:

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23, NASB

Maybe Hannah and Samuel were diligent to protect their heart. Maybe they knew if they were going to protect their love for the Lord, they would be attacked in their heart. Samson certainly didn't protect his heart.

I know my heart has been ransacked by those I've loved who don't promise me life. I've pursued those who don't mean what they say or keep their promises and found myself empty afterward. And I've obeyed my own desires, leaving my heart vulnerable to fear and drought.

The results truly are disastrous.

So treasure God's love in your heart. Guard it with diligence and you can count on God when He says, "You will live."

Java with the Judges- Wrap Up

Here we are in our final wrap-up of Java With the Judges. Whadidya think?

What characters stand out to you?
Which passages of Judges struck you at your core?
What timeless truths have you gleaned through this study?
How has God revealed His nature, or the nature of mankind, to you?
Did you find a new role model?
What would you like to continue studying deeper?


Java with the Judges encouraged me to begin looking at the habits of my flesh. My eyes were opened to a few areas in my life, both minor and major, in which I operate on "auto pilot" and allow my flesh patterns to dictate my behavior. I end up frustrated/angry/irritated by circumstances that (surprise, surprise!) can often be traced right back to me. It's as though I am standing beside a pond, grumbling because the water splashed up, when I was the one tossing rocks in the pond to begin with!

Circles, spirals, carousels, concentric rings and spheres kept coming to mind.
I listened to Life House's song, Sick Cycle Carousel, a lot during the first weeks of Judges.


Trying to break out of the cycle of thinking only about circles (ha!) I prayed God might give me another mental image of what was going on in the time of the Judges; and a parallel to my own experience.

Nothing profound came to me until I mowed my lawn for the first time this spring. Our home is situated on old farm land, and there's enough grass here that we have to use a riding mower. There's a certain direction in our yard, that every time I mow that way I can feel the rise and fall of each of the farmer's old furrows and hillocks. I often wonder what sort of crop was sewn along these bumps that now threaten to jostle me off the seat of my John Deere. It brings to mind images of long days spent in back-breaking labor in the sun-- breaking the sod, poking holes in the dirt, counting out seeds, covering and tenderly nurturing what's been sewn, watching the sky for rain, trying to keep critters and disease at bay, and eventually rejoicing in a harvest.

This land has been tended for a long time; much longer than I've been around on it.

So it is with the book of Judges. Israel already had a history before the time of the Judges. They recounted to each other the stories of being chosen as God's people, His deliverance from slavery to Egypt, His provision for them as they wandered in the desert. They even had accounts of God's wrath against His people that chose to go their own ways in gross and egregious fashions. And yet... here we are in Judges watching the people of Israel continuing to make many of the same poor choices their forefathers made.

I think of Samson, in particular, who seemed to think that being a Nazarite (a chosen amongst the Chosen) meant that he was entitled to special treatment. His extreme strength, his position as a judge of Israel, his go-get-'em spirit somehow warranted him permission to seize whatever shiny thing caught his attention. And when he screwed up, he believed he had a never ending supply of get-out-of-jail-free cards. He was God's golden boy, after all, right?

Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

Tend To It
Acrylic on Canvas
12 X 12

It's easy for me to think that Samson got off scot-free, but the reality is that he paid a price for his arrogance. Israel paid a price for the lustful seeds Samson sowed and nurtured. Like the furrows I bump along on my riding mower, Israel has had to bump along over the seed beds of their ancestors for centuries. Their ancients tended the spiritual fields of the nation, but the question is, what kind of seeds were they planting? God-honoring, righteousness-seeking seeds? Or self-focused, defiant, thumbing-their-nose-at-God seeds?

Israel planted many seeds of sin, and even though they were God's chosen people, that didn't absolve them. Those seeds eventually ripened and came to fruition such that the entire nation reaped and harvested some pretty ugly stuff. Some of that painful harvest was the discipline of God, but some of it was just plain natural consequences. If you plant a bitter herb, you ought not expect a sweet flower to grow up in its place.

So, what kinds of seeds am I tendng? The season of harvest is approaching.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 6

Smile

I was thinking about the Play Your Hand question:

How do your actions/treatment of strangers reflect your spiritual condition?

We've talked a lot in our small group about how we can make a difference in our everyday life because we come in contact with so many people on a daily basis. Just count the number of people that simply see your face in a single day - from the cashier at the drive-thru to your co-workers, from the people standing in line behind you at the grocery to the person who cuts your hair.

This question reminded me of the gallery I did for Week 5 where I talked about how I don't use my gifts which require me to interact with people. My tendency is to sequester myself in front of my computer. But I also isolate myself when I'm out in public. You may know the moves. Look straight ahead, don't make eye contact, pretend to be looking at something in your purse, or look at the ground in front of you. I am way too good at this. So I've started working at making eye contact, smiling, and saying hi if I don't think it will freak people out. Lucky for me, people in the south are very friendly and polite, so this should be received very well.

This may seem like a silly little thing but think what my face and body language must say about my spirit. I'm unapproachable, stoic, too busy for you, and not happy. Is this a true reflection of my spirit? It shouldn't be because this is not the spirit that is really in me. Why am I hiding it away and not sharing it?

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 6

Free Key

I love the way ideas come from a long line rabbit trails. I was thinking about the Shuffle the Deck idea of making a name tag for your work space. I thought I'd write on the tag all the things I was allowed to do in that work space. Then it hit me. Instead of a name tag, I'd make a key tag because keys unlock things and I needed my imagination and silliness to be freed in my workspace.

I tried to make this as simple as possible but when I was done, I didn't like the old key I used and thought of a more make believe key I could make. I'm going off now to design a key to an imaginary place where you dance on the beach, the sun plays loud rock music, bunny rabbits don't run away when you try to pet them, flip-flops are worn all year round, the sand is mixed with glitter, and cotton candy is served instead of salads.

Java with the Judges- Week 6

Civil War and Anarchy
Java With the Judges (Coffee Cup Bible Series)

Welcome to Week 6 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

I must confess that Samson is a character that I love to hate. Even though God used him to bring judgment on the Philistines and to even act as a judge amongst God's own people, I still don't really like the guy.

There, I said it.
I'm not fond of someone lifted up in Hebrews as "a giant of the faith."

I have some more wrestling to do with the concept of God using a very flawed character to perform His purposes. Obviously, God is a God of grace. I am quite thankful for that fact, and certainly when I examine my own character next to Samson's character, I'm going to come up smelling just as stinky in just as many ways. Thank God for His sovereign grace on me!

Ready to jump into our last week together?


Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for Week 6.

1) At the dinner table, each person usually has his or her place to sit. In the family room, dad has his chair and mom has hers. Each person has his or her own room, office, desk, etc.
Make a decorative name-plate for one of your “spaces” in your home. Maybe include rules for your space.
2) Alter a magazine cover! Find a magazine cover (a person’s face is a great starting point). Alter the image using pen, pencils, paint, scissors, whatever! Take a photo of your creation. * No digital work - get off your computer!

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 5

Locked Away

For this weeks Play Your Hand, I made two columns on a piece of paper. On the left I listed my strengths; on the right I listed my weaknesses. Then I stepped back to see if I could make any observations by comparing and contrasting the lists. Something obvious stood out pretty quickly.

My strengths had to do with interacting with people, my weaknesses isolate me. If I'm ever going to maximize my strengths, increase my joy, glorify God, and worship in the beauty around me, I've simply got to get out more.

So my SPS card is double sided. On one side, I represent the "alone me", the weaknesses side. There I am, at my computer, reading and generally... computing stuff, I guess.


On the other side I tried to represent my strengths. The computer may be in there but it's not what stands out. And neither do I. There's so many people to help and experience and I could miss that is I stay safely on the weaknesses side of the card, alone with my computer.
I didn't notice it until after I'd cut out the little picture of the computer that, on the screen, was a bunch of people, like on the strengths side of my card. I do a lot of social networking online but I thought this little bitty depiction of a group of people was a great contrast to the large group on the opposite side of the card.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 5

Take Me Away

For this weeks Shuffle, I'm selecting to take some pictures of my cathedral - a place where I'm inspired.
Most people know that I love the beach. You might find it surprising that I actually don't like water but I love laying on the beach. The sounds and smells are so relaxing to me.

I experienced God's cathedral when I was at Reynolda Village, laying on my back on their lush lawn looking up through the enormous pine trees at the blue sky. Suddenly I felt like I was in the chapel that God built.

There is a more readily available place I can go and I went there today. My bathtub. There's just nothing like a steaming hot bubble bath. I light a candle, put on some Benedictine monks or sounds of the ocean, and lay back on my plastic pillow. (You may notice I don't have a picture for this. You're lucky; I thought of it but not until after my soak.)

I find it interesting that all of these have my laying down which changes my perspective and shuts out as much of the busy world around me as possible. I'm able to concentrate on the sensations available.

Java with the Judges- Week 5

Samson the Conflicted
Java With the Judges (Coffee Cup Bible Series)

Welcome to Week 5 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Samson week."

1. My Cathedral, My Prayer Closet (Inspired by Rhonda’s Week 4 Gallery post)

Cathedrals were built to be awe-inspiring places of worship. The grandeur and beauty of the cathedral was meant to overwhelm the senses of anyone who entered and, using craftsmanship and artistry, to draw visitors into adoration for God.

Think of a place that acts like a cathedral in your personal worship life. Is it the seaside? The mountains? Lying on your back, identifying stars in the summer sky? Sitting in the front row of the symphony?
Take a photo or sketch your personal cathedral. Describe what it is about this place that inspires such worship in your spirit.

The Bible speaks of each Christian keeping a “prayer closet,” a quiet place where we can individually meet with God for contemplation, conversation and intimacy.

Think of a place that acts as a prayer closet in your personal worship life. Is it a literal closet? Is it your hot morning shower? Is it in the car on your evening commute? Is it walking laps around the high school track?
Take a photo or sketch your personal prayer closet. Describe what it is about this place that enables you to climb like a child onto the lap of Jesus.


2. Describe your day-to-day activities as a warrior doing battle. Describe the enemy, weapons, fields of battle, victories, and defeat. Do it in the form of prose, a comic book, an illustrated book, or an epic poem. Or video tape it using puppets or actors.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 4

I didn't get a card up for Gallery Wednesday; things have just been crazy this past week. (And you guys aren't helping! Is anyone else making cards? Is anyone out there - there - there - there? Hello - Hello - Hello - Hello?)

This "card", for what it's worth, is the best I can do for this week. It just goes to show you sometimes it's not the art or the time, it's just getting your feelings on the page.

So how does this card apply to you?
What verse or quote would you attach to this card?

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 4

One of the Plays for this week was to color a monochromatic face with colors that describe my mood today.

I quickly sketched a female face on watercolor paper and then outlined it using a sharpie. I have a lot of Fernanda Guedes influences in there. I love her portraits.

Lucky for me, I think, I was in a really great mood today. The sun is out, the temperatures are mild, I got a fantastic haircut, did some shopping, splurged on a latte, and my husband started a job after six months of unemployment. Pretty much all the best things that can happen in one day.

My face turned out looking a lot like a transvestite but I felt very colorful, bright, and happy to be me today. Pink is my happy color for 2009. I wanted the portrait to appear friendly and psychedelic. The flame hair may not really fit with "friendly".

Java with the Judges: Week 4

Java with the Judges

Jephthah

Welcome to Week 4 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Jephthah week."
1. Put on some music and do a happy dance.
For inspiration:
The Evolution of Dance
Snoopy's Dance
Matt's Dance
Ellen's Dance

2. MonochromaFace
In descriptive writing color and emotion are often tied together. “He turned red with embarrassment.” “She’s green with envy.” “A yellow-bellied coward.” “The little girl was tickled pink.”
What color describes your mood today?

Enlarge, print and color in one of the mannequin faces below using the entire range of hues for the color you choose. (Ex. for green- use light green, kelly green , olive, lime, forest green, teal, grass green)

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 3

Hanging on for Dear Life

Do you ever feel that way - like you're hanging on for dear life?

I just finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and there's an analogy she shares that describes this feeling perfectly:

"Imagine that the universe is a great spinning engine. You want to stay near the core of the thing - right in the hub of the wheel - not out at the edges where all the wild whirling takes place, where you can get frayed and crazy. The hub is calmness - that's your heart. That's where God lives within you." - "Eat, Pray, Love", Elizabeth Gilbert

The imagery was so poignant for me I drew the picture above in my journal with the quote. It wasn't until I decided to include it here on the blog for Gallery Wednesday that I saw it was another cycle.

There are times in our lives when we're closer to God than others (that's my little meditating stick figure next to the heart). This is often described as being at peace or having a sense of peace. But we're constantly moving in and out of this cycle, sometimes closer and other times farther away. I know when I'm farther away, I feel more like the little stick figure hanging on to the outer ring. Everything seems harder and I feel more scared. Look at all that emptiness around the poor stick figure hanging on! There's nothing else to grab onto.


I also enjoyed finding a little math applied philosophy in my sketch. If I have to get to another point on the ring, I have to travel a lot faster and a lot further on the outer rings than when I'm closer. The closer I am to God, the easier the pace, the shorter the distances.

This also reminds me of my labyrinth!

Even if you're closer to the center and there's chaos going on around you, you still feel calmer than when you're on the edge. Gideon seemed more frazzled hiding in a winepress to thrash wheat (Judges 6:11) than when he was at the edge of the enemies camp armed with nothing but trumpets, jars, and torches (Judges 7:17-18).

Not for the Life of Me - Judges 3

It seemed appropriate, when I kicked off my TGIF playlist this morning, that "Vacation" by the Go-Go's started. I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Melissa Gilbert about her year long trek across Italy, India and Indonesia so my mind is in a get-away kind of mood.

When Gilbert was first in Italy, she struggled with the notion that she was there for pleasure. She had an ingrained sense of guilt about deserving to enjoy her surrounding. In a response that I'm very familiar with, she tried to strive for pleasure. "I wanted to take on pleasure like a homework assignment."

I am constantly striving and the question in this week's study, Java with the Judges, is very hard to register: Does it ever bother you that you're weak? Yes! Always!

Somewhere along in my early childhood I surmised that being weak was bad, very, very bad. So, from this childhood mystery developed my self preservation technique to never be weak. Seriously. Freaky, huh? I mean, how can someone do that? Quite obviously, not without a lot of damage which defeats the whole self preservation thing and creating guilt in experiencing any kind of pleasure. Hmm, that sounds like a cycle.

God wants us to have pleasure in the way that we live and serve; he's provided so much for us to have pleasure in. The reward in living and obeying is in discovering where you fit and experiencing pleasure from it that you never imagined possible. The obstacle we all run into is our modus operandi - our mode of self preservation. It blinds us from seeing what we can do.

Gideon was scared, there's no doubt about it (Judges 6:15). When told what he was to do, he stalled. But when you get him in battle, he's on fire (Judges 7:15)! He takes the reigns and thrives. It may be hard to say he took pleasure in this but its obvious he's in his element; there is no more fear or worry of self preservation. When he got past his knee jerk reaction, he learned something new and amazing about himself.

So maybe the false modes of self preservation we have aren't only preventing us from serving God in some cool way but even keeping us from experiencing the amazing delights God has bestowed generously on us like food, worship, and relationship.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 3

For this weeks Shuffle I made a cootie catcher. It's not finished yet but I like the idea of doodling on it for the rest of the study. I stuck with pencil and paper this time; no glitter.

The idea of a cootie catcher is like casting lots or using an 8 ball. You ask a question then select a number between one and eight. The cootie is moved that many times and then you select another number between one and eight. This number reveals your answer. So there are eight slots for you to insert whatever kind of answers you want ("Never!", "Could be", "With certitude", "Not in your future", etc.)

I hadn't planned on making it spiritual; it just sort of happened that way. There have been a few key verses that I've attached too over the last month since we've been going through these hard times. I put them in the cootie catcher to help me remember them. Instead of writing the verses out, I created little icons to represent the key parts of the verse.

I've only got four verses right now so I have room during the rest of the study to add more. There's also the fun of doodling a design on the outside.

SPRINGS OF LIFE FROM HEART
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. -Proverbs 4:23

CROWN OF BEAUTY IN GOD'S HAND
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. -Isaiah 62:3

GOD EXCHANGES ASHES FOR BEAUTY
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory. -Isaiah 61:3

YOUR HEART REFLECTS YOU
As in water the face is reflected as a face, 1 so a person’s heart 2 reflects the person. - Proverbs 27:19

Java with the Judges: Week 3

Java with the Judges
Gideon

Welcome to Week 3 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Gideon week."

1. Make a cootie catcher: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cootie-Catcher

2. In the movie Waitress, making pies is Jenna’s art form. She used it to process and deal with all the trials, events, and emotions in her life. She made “Fallin’ in Love Chocolate Mousse Pie," “Lonely Chicago Pie," and “Jenna’s First Kiss Pie." (More pies from the movie.)

Like Jenna, make a luminary that represents you today – your feelings, tasks, or events today. Represent these with simple images/icons that you put on a paper bag. You can cut the images directly out of the paper bag, you can draw or write directly on the bag, or apply cutouts, clippings, or stickers. You can make any size and any number of luminaries. (Example: make a small one that sits in your kitchen window.)

Mentors - Judges 2

A couple of years ago I took the Clifton StrengthsFinder that evaluates natural talents. Along with a top five list of those talents or strengths, comes a helpful action item list on how to best utilize your them. One of my strengths is Focus which means I am extremely efficient and goal oriented. One of the action items for this strength said "Identify your role models. Write down in detail why you want to focus your career toward similar kind of achievement."

I couldn't think of anyone. At first, this seemed arrogant but I think I was being a little too hard on myself. Personalities are complicated and being a severely disciplined person, I tend to put my head down and drive forward carrying the weight of everything myself. I don't think I can or presume to ask anyone else for help. I'm too busy trying to do my thing perfectly to see how great everyone else is.

This question has come back up for me as I'm evaluating what I want to do with my life and how I want to direct my passions but I still can't think of anyone. Well, not anyone who's not fictional. There's Trinity from The Matrix who had such unwavering faith that she lost all of her fears when the world around her was quite literally being shredded. There's Eowyn from The Lord of The Rings who acted with such courage and loyealty to defend her people. And even when these women were called to fight a battle, they did not lose any of their femininity.

Who are the women who got a late start in life but made great achievements? How are they motivated to push themselves forward despite their obstacles? Who are these women in today's culture? I know they're out there but my head has been in the sand.

Who are your mentors and are there any women today, in the public eye, that inspire you?

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 2

Free to be Me

This is the companion card to the "Fear" card I made the first week. The cards were painted at the same time. I knew then that flying away in freedom was going to be a process, not a flip of the switch or one walk through a labyrinth.

As I write this, I have to admit that I feel very much back in the fear prison more than ever. Did you see the movie The Aviator about Howard Hughes? The accuracy of the facts aren't what's important but the image of Hughes near the end, imprisoned in a room of his own making came in my head. The progression of accepting your fears builds and builds until you've given in to so many of them they are all you see. I remember thinking at the end of the film how sad, what a waster of a great mind. Are we not doing the same thing with the gifts and talents God has given us as we use fear and circumstance over and over again as an excuse not to glorify Him as the wonderful beings we are?

I got that image of Howard Hughes and finally became more afraid of the room than the fears. I want to keep that image of cowering in that room when so many love me and care for me and see my potential. It's still a long path to trust and courage but at least I prefer it to the room.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted
He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives,
And freedom to prisoners." - Isaiah 61:1

This is Your Brain on Glitter - Judges 2

Here's the result of the Shuffle I did from Monday to create a first prize tiara.

Public Service Warning: View at your own risk.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 2

Time is flying by so I didn't finish my Shuffle for a first place award this week. I'll work on it today and get a picture up soon. It's a fun Shuffle so I can't wait to do it.

Tiaras have really been on my mind lately so I decided to make that my first place award. Here's a little drawing I did of my idea. The main part will be made out of fun foam attached to an old headband. Everything I use to make it will come out of all my art stuff. It'll give you an idea of just how much stuff I have! I have no idea how I'm going to do those poufy things at the temples. Maybe a giant bow or some tissue paper?

I'm going to get sick of seeing my art work every Gallery Wednesday so you guys send me your stuff so I can post it instead!

You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal turban in the hand of your God. - Isaiah 62:3

Java with the Judges: Week 2

Java with the Judges
The Good and the Reluctant

Welcome to Week 2 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)

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So, ready to launch Week Two? Here are a few Shuffle The Deck activities to start it off:

1. The Best of the Best
Make a first place award (ribbon, trophy, crown, sash, etc.) to give to yourself.

2. Chorgatron 6000
Using magazine clippings, objects from your junk drawer, drawings, and other found objects, glue them on paper to build a robot that will do your most dreaded chore(s).

3. Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Human beings are always coming up with unconventional ways to use things. Old boots and whiskey barrels as garden planters, using a butter knife as a stand-in screwdriver, holding hair back with a pencil or a chopstick, etc.

Think about your daily routine and write down some examples of your creative uses for ready-made goods.
OR
Challenge yourself this week to find a useful, but unconventional job for something in your house, desk, or purse.