three! still pondering...

your words are so humbling. i know that you're there, but my goodness. i'm truly grateful. as i move into this weekend of sharing my art both through vending the wears and preaching a sermon, i am moving with grateful steps. each action this week allows me to breathe well, with creative others surrounding me. with the completion of each action this week, i breathe deeper, thankful that i move well from one task into the next.

as i move from each task to the next, i want to take care to use words well, to remain focused in the present and to the task at hand. however, it's in the spaces like this week that i am reminded by the wisdom of elmer that i'm to schedule time to prepare myself before the work that's to take place.

so tonight, i sit still. tonight i think of you and this space we share together. i think of all that i want to embody in the sermon on sunday. i think of sharing it with you, even though that makes me a bit nervous. indeed, it does.

i think of my sleeping son, who was sleeping well when i came into his room from vending today. i turned off his lantern and gave him a kiss. there in the space of his room i see the peace that he breathes into his being in a warm, comfort-filled home. i feel the peace that flows through me as i look upon his sweet face.

the normal ebb and flow that takes place for me in motherhood, ministry, and the arts has a different feel this week. i've had great encounters, room for potential partnerships, retreats, and blogging opportunities. i have the incredible space to work with in the new studio & was able to begin round 2 of outfitting the space. i have witnessed joy-filled moments for my sweet boy. i have been challenged to embody a sacred text from scripture and listen to its wisdom in a new way. life is life. it's what we're given. sometimes it's what we name for ourselves, opening our souls up for new experiences.

i'm open to new, but i'm mindful of how much i have said i would do and have yet to finish. so, three years later, i'm still moving. i'm moving forward. yet i do remember promises i've made to myself: to actually WRITE the book i've been talking about for too, too long. to COMPLETE the painted prayer chair curriculum and start producing more of the ministry i offer in a way that others can create the good work in their settings. yes, i do remember a few promises made and i'm determined to fertilize a few in the coming days, which i'm thinking of in the next 6-12 months.

while i'm not goal oriented in traditional ways, i am mindful of my process of sacred centering. as such, i'll model what i hope for each of us, centering on the sacred and what brings us to the center of our being, to our souls. i center on each breath, breathing in peace, breathing out peace. i center on love, the love that surrounds me and the love that radiates from me. i center on creativity, the creativity i have to offer and the creativity that can emanate from others with introductions. i center on story, and good stories at that. the best of stories.

so, i offer you my soul tonight, in the way i am pondering the present, wrestling with sacred texts in scripture, and in the way i am feeling quite grateful. i leave you with these three themes and a few more as i continue to celebrate the blog birthday! remember to leave a post for the blog birthday entry.

peace be yours. peace be.