Gypsies at Versailles

Gypsies at Versailles

This week's theme over at Digital Whisper is "Marie Antoinette."

Marie used to take her ladies-in-waiting to a farm at Versailles and play at being milkmaids. I imagine that if gypsies came by she'd have just as much fun.

Image credits: Eena's Creations, Holliewood Studios, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Marta van Eck, Finecraft Designs, Tumble Fish Studios (all from mischiefcircus.com), and the Graphics Fairy.

Bohemian Seas

Dreaming of Bohemian Seas

The challenge over at Take a Word this week is "Sea Life" - one that holds lots of possibilities. The images of the Sea Horse and Sea Dragon from itKuPiLLi Imaginarium inspired this bohemian fantasy. 

Image Credits: itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Marta van Eck, Tumble Fish Studio, Jagged Touch Studio and Brimm (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

"Hide and Seek" is the challenge over at Digital Whisper this week. Just a fun little romp.

Image credits: itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Holliewood Studios, Tumble Fish Studios and Rucola Designs (all from MishceifCircus.com)

Under the Shadow

O Christ Jesus,

when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness,

give us a sense of your presence, your love, and your strength.

Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love

and strengthening power,

so that nothing may frighten or worry us,

for, living close to you,

we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will

through all things.

~ Ingatius of Loyola

Image credits: Krysty Scrap Designs, Rucola Designs, and itKuPiLLi Imaginarium (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Window on the World

Window on the World

The challenge this week over on Take a Word is "window." When I saw this paper from Rucola Designs with the fairy-tale mushrooms, I knew it was the beginnings of a window into a fairy-tale world.

Keep your eyes open. You never know where you will find wonder.

Image credits: Rucola Designs, Eena's Creations, Holliewood Studios (all from mischiefcircus.com), and the Graphics Fairy.

Free Spirit

Free Spirit

The challenge this week over at Digital Whisper is "summer" - and I thought a little summer freedom was in order. 

Live large. Expand beyond. Bloom in the sun.

Be free.

Image credits: Rucola Designs, Marta van Eck, Hidden Vintage Studio, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium and Cryztal Rain (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Set Free

What is serious to man is often very trivial in the sight of God.

What in God might appear to us as "play" is perhaps what

He Himself takes most seriously.

 At any rate the Lord plays and diverts Himself

in the garden of His creation,

and if we could let go of our own obsession with

what we think is the meaning of it all,

we might be able to hear His call

and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance.

~Thomas Merton

New Seeds of Contemplation

This art journal page was a meditation on part of the scripture passage from the previous Sunday's message. The theme of the sermon series is "Set Free" - something we all need to hear and really receive. 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech

but with actions and in truth.

This is how we know that we belong to the truth

and how we set our hearts in his presence:

If our hearts condemn us,

we know that God is greater than our hearts,

and he knows everything.

Dear friends, if our heart do not condemn us,

we have confidence before God

and receive from him anything we ask,

because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

And this is his command: 

to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and to love one another as he commanded us.

The one who keeps God's commands lives in him,

and he in them.

And this is how we know that he lives in us:

We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

~ I John 3:18-24 (NIV)

And that is indeed a freeing thought. For so often my heart condemns me. 

But God is greater than my heart. And he knows everything.