JoDee Luna's Blog, page 26

Peek

Check out this amazing new website for exploring and booking your travel fantasies, Peek, which my son, Josiah, helped to launch. Peek is a fantastic resource for the creative eclectic in need inspirational travel excursions.

Here’s a link to Peek’s about page: https://www.peek.com/about and one of many feature articles http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/11/peek-travel/.

Peek partners with high quality venders to offer amazing activities for the busy traveler in need of a one-stop-shop.

 

Now you can keep all of your wanderlust longings in one place by creating a wishlist.

 

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We’ve Moved In!

Thanks to the help of our wonderful family, the big move into our new home is finally finished. We couldn’t have done it without them, so we send another BIG THANK YOU to all of you who helped. Saturday evening, Elya and Laura cooked our family’s first meal in our new digs.

As I listened to the girls chatting it up in the kitchen, I couldn’t help but fast-forward to the holidays when our children (and I include spouse, fiancé, and boyfriend) will gather together in our home.

Another highlight of the move in was an amazing house-warming present from my sister, Gina, and her husband Rick. I have always coveted her painting from the first time I laid eyes on this amazing piece of art. They brought it over to us all wrapped up in silver paper.

Poppy Field by Gina M. Wilson

What a wonderful gift. Thanks to much!

So here I sit writing from a new spot. All about me are boxes full of things waiting to be put away. So I will pour my creativity into nesting in a cozy new home; one in which I will make new art and new memories, precious times spent with our family and friends.

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Home Renovation: An Overwhelming yet Exhilarating Creative Project

Renovating a home is, perhaps, one of the most all-consuming, ginormous artistic projects a person can tackle. My husband and I have trekked through seven months of Mount Everest-like obstacles and are still looking for the summit of finishing these home-improvements.

As if the grueling six months of short-sale-stretched-long didn’t churn up enough anxiety and stress. We got the keys to a home that was filthy and full of other people’s abandoned stuff. Five trips to the dump later, and an entire family helping to gut and clean, we entered phase two of our new artistic adventure…

SELECTION!

That’s right, home renovation requires more choices than Carter has pills. (I’m aging myself with that idiom, so if you’re young, just ignore it.) In fact, I’ve never made so many creative decisions in such a short span of time.

From floor to ceiling, a home renovation project requires selection. Here’s just a few of the questions you must ask yourself, and then squabble over with your spouse:

What kind, color, and quality of flooring do you want?
What color of paint for the walls, baseboards, and ceiling? Do you want any rooms or walls different colors?



How do you want your closets arranged? Wire shelving, wood shelving, ready-made units, or particle board shelving? Do you want one row of hanging clothes or a section for two so you can hang blouses above and pants below? How about a cubby for shoes? A section with a shelf unit? Open shelves or with drawers? How much do you want to spend?
How will you arrange a three-car garage instead of a two when you’ve lost the storage of two sheds and a gargantuan rafter area?
How much of the garage can you claim for your messy crafts? (Will you arm-wrestle your husband for a floral design area in the garage?)

Now let’s talk yard:

Trim back the trees?
Tear out the bushes?
How many pots do you want to haul over from the other house?
When can you afford to build a quaint garden shed that will double as storage and more creative space? What design do you envision? One all trimmed in white with flower boxes full of blooms? Perhaps a stone path winding its way to one of doors? Should it have two doors—one for storage and one that enters your inside potter’s area with a reading nook on the opposite wall that your daughter dreamed up?
Will you choose solar or electric garden lighting?
How will you position your patio furniture? When can you afford to buy more?

I could go on and on, but then I would incite stress in you.

So I’ve saved the best comments for last. This home will bring me closer to family. In fact, I can look out my art studio window and see my sister’s art studio window.

So, I envision future creative collaborations:

“Hey sis, can you pop over and check out my new painting? Tell me what colors I should add?”

“The grandbabies are here for a visit. Would you bring your camera over and take some photos for me?”

I also savor the long-awaited gift of a separate art studio from a guest room that doubled as both. On those future lazy Saturdays I can only dream about now, I will sneak into my studio and create when our adult children home for a visit are sleeping in. This will be my quiet place filled with inspiration and arts and crafts supplies. I can create to my heart’s content, undisturbed or joined by one of the many artists in my family.

Yes, home renovation is an over-welling, but glorious, creative project.

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Trust

“You will know the right thing to do when the time is right to do it.”

I think God doles out trust one moment at a time, because as much as I try to generate my own, grace must kiss my trembling lips before they utter, “I believe.”

And aren’t we all kind of like blind Bartimaeus,*

groping our way through dark nights of the soul?

Seeing the way through our dilemmas doesn’t generate trust. Trust nestles in our hearts before the wings of the dawn highlight a clear path. 

Even though we cannot generate our own trust, we can whisper the words of another who doubted so long ago: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

And then those gentle, all too familiar words return to our mind, like the exhortation Philip received when he struggled with trust: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”

I don’t know about you, but I feel ashamed when I don’t trust. Gosh, I’ve had a lifetime of experiences to convince me just how trustworthy God is. Yet, when confusing circumstances come along, I become like a frightened child who’s scared and thinks she’s lost her way in a dark forest.

In those moments, I don’t need the Lord to roar like a mighty Aslan,

photo by Josiah Filler

but merely to whisper, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Yet most of the time this doesn’t happen, so I must trust while I tarry in those dark places of doubt. I must wait for grace to appear. Such is the mystery of faith and the challenge of trust.

Photo by Josiah Filler

This post is linked to Cheryl Smith’s True Vine Challenge. Select the photo link below to read more inspirational posts:

On a side note:

*“According to Bruce Robison, an Episcopal priest, Bartimaeus can be compared favorably to the Apostles and others in Mark’s story; Bartimeaus is different from the others:

He first calls out as the party comes by, and when Jesus asks him what he wants he cuts right to the chase. No bargaining for position and status, like James and John. No trick legalistic questions, like the Pharisees. No playing to the crowd, like the Rich Young Man—who wanted to be sure that everybody knew, we’ll remember, that he had kept all the commandments since he was young. Bartimaeus isn’t trying to impress anybody, not seeking a gold star at the top of his spelling test. Not wanting to be the greatest in the coming Kingdom, or to sit at the right hand of Jesus in his glory.

—The Rev. Bruce Robison[10]

By throwing his cloak away in 10:46-52, Bartimaeus gave up all he had to follow Jesus.[1][2][7” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_blind_near_Jericho

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Criticism: Raven of the Soul

I’d rather be a dove of peace than a raven of criticism. In fact, I often think…there is already so much wrong in the world, why point out the obvious, over and over again?

I also wonder at what point personal beliefs end and another’s free will begins?

Is there a fine line between standing up for what we believe and appeasing the powerful or conforming to the weak?

And is it a loving act to wound in order to heal, if constructive criticism helps another to see his or her fault and reform?

I wonder whether the One, who is perfect in all of His ways, cautions us not to judge least we be judged because He has appointed few worthy enough to call others to account.

Constructive criticism can be a powerful tool in the hands of the wise and kind of heart. Yet this same force can shred another’s sense of self.

Criticism is an anomaly—sometimes the most wounding of interactions propel our purposes forward the fastest because we grow in wisdom as we seek to overcome our pain.

In fact, this nasty bird of prey can even pluck out our imperfections when another hones in on what we fail to see in ourselves. The challenge most certainly resides in how to discern the difference.

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I feel it is important to ask them.

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Edie Kynard: Frazzled, Fearless & Free

Art is a fruit that grows in man, like fruit on a plant, or a child in it’s mother’s womb. – Edie Kynard

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“Driving along with my Nikon on the seat beside me, I was content with a cup of coffee and scenic views of a foggy morning in St. Augustine. The lake looked surreal and I knew that this piece of work was going to be very satisfying! It’s gorgeous in print!”

Welcome to the creative eclectic world of Edie Kynard.

I love to encourage people and I love to create. – Edie Kynard

I first met Edie’s art online when I came across her piece, “Honey is the nectar of heaven,” on her website, www.ediekynard.com. Her artwork captivated me, so I left her a comment on her blog and a request to feature this piece on my creativity website.

This very talented lady captures mesmerizing images and then crafts them into messages, so I just had to see more.

Recently, Edie contacted me to tell me that she had purchased the Kindle version of my book, Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics. As we emailed back and forth, we realized our artistically eclectic similarities, so I asked Edie if I could feature her on my creativity website. Here is her bio from her website and additional samples of her artwork:

“I’m an award winning graphic artist, photographer and freelance writer. For the past 20 years, I’ve published two magazines per month, created coffee table books for Chambers of Commerce and have moved gradually into the world of blogging. My artistic blogs can be found at www.ediekynard.com and http://www.praiseproseandphotos.com.

Three of my best friends are: my Nikon, I Pad and I Phone. I possess the mind of a busy woman with a frazzled, type A personality. I recognize tenacity as a prerequisite to fearlessness, (one of the reasons I chose to venture into online sales with Fine Art America).

 

Each day I experience freedom that is born of artistic expression. Every sunrise, for me, is a gift from God and I give back through artistic expression and try my best to offer kindness to someone, somewhere before night falls. I hope you enjoy my art as much as I have enjoyed the artistic process in getting it ready for uploading to this website. Thanks, for visiting. – Edie Kynard”

Accomplishments:

Host of two TV talk shows, Putnam Now and The Home’s Plus Magazine Show.
Recipient, 1st place in FL Press Association Magazine Cover Design.
Published writer, national as well as local publications.
Designed and did all of the photography and art (coffee table book-see photo) for Randolph County, GA Chamber of Commerce.
Wrote and presented workshops, Adapting To Change By Choice or By Circumstance and another entitled, “Women of the Bible Step Into the 90′s” for Christian Women’s group on St. Simon’s Island.
Wrote and published a book of poetry, ” One Shining Light.”
Photography used on the front cover of the Columbus, GA Yellow Pages.
Currently produce and publish 2 magazines, one for a non-profit group and another for a local business.
Just started a FB group with Debbie Henderson, F.I.G.H.T. for Faith in God’s Healing Touch.
Happily married for almost 37 years, mother of 2 and grandmother of 5.

 

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Great Ideas To Get You In The Mood For Fall

I love the fall…but I am always sad to see the summer go.  So to put a positive spin on it for myself I like to start decorating in fall colors and do fall”ish” type stuff to make me feel happy and upbeat about the upcoming CRAPPY weather we will be experiencing VERY SOON! Ha!

I don’t do it all at once but I do “start” to think about it around now….so you won’t see a FULL display of what I do ….that will be another post later on.  However, here is a little teaser to get you started and like me…..looking towards fall. READ THE ENTIRE POST…

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Return to What you Love

A hurried lifestyle often hurls me off the path of creativity. During these times of hustle and bustle, dew-kissed roses in my garden bloom alone; I forget to take my usual strolls to admire their beauty and breathe in their succulent scent.

Then I wonder why the soul dries and the songbird’s trill turns to stone.

As garden pots empty in preparation to move, I ponder: Soon, I will cultivate unfamiliar soil.

And yet during this time of transition, I find the desire to create creep back into every sunset I spy.

For God never ceases to paint the heavens with His glory, even though we humans bustle about with minds full of “to do’s” but hands empty of creativity’s tools.

And every sunset seems to say, “Return to what you love.”

So this morning I rummage through old photos of gardens gone by. I find reminders me of what I love:

Dirt under fingernails as pots fill with nature’s wonder
The scent of sweet alyssum as I turn the earth
Herbs planted in pots nestled among worn out wheelbarrows

Yes, we creative eclectics must remind ourselves to assess whether we are following the artistic passions we possess. We must set our faces like flint to redirect our minds, to weed out society’s panic that erodes our peacefulness of soul. We must return to what we love!

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Remember to whisper thank you…

My soul swells with promises of good things come true:

A new job I love
A daughter returned home
A house renovation underway
A family filled with helping and togetherness

The Renovation Work Crew (my precious family)

Angst turned the corner towards trust, as I watched my father’s delight upon seeing his great-granddaughter.

Frustration ebbed away and peace engulfed the perforated membrane of my serenity, even though chaos accumulated all around me. The long, arduous six-month wait for this house is finally over, and now the work begins.

Today I give thanks for having made it through a season of uncertainty as much as I whisper “thank you” for the gifts God has bestowed.

And as my family and I bleach nicotine-stained walls and chip hospital-white floor tiles, I realize the renovation of my attitude is every bit as important as the remodeling of our new home. I thought I was a patient person, but when circumstances surrounding this purchase pressed me, an ugly side of myself surfaced.

My daughter, Andy, removing floor tiles.

The removal of annoyances that lodged within me could be likened to the snapping of floor tile. And as I work, this thought comes to mind:

When gifts do not flow freely from the hand of God, remember to whisper “Thank you!”

Chad and Andy hard at work.

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Canning Tomatoes with Cousin Cynthia

On Saturday morning I drove over Highway 17 to Live Earth Farm in Watsonville to take a tomato canning workshop with Happy Girl Kitchen. Cynthia was coming my way to pick up Henry from camp on Monday and was thrilled to join me in all I learned. She brought cases of jars, and I supplied three flats of organic dry farmed tomatoes from the farmer’s market.

Dear cousins, you were with us in spirit from the very beginning.

In 24-hours of foodie delight, we listened to Verdi, chopped and canned, indulged in delicious meals and invited friends for a bloody mary cocktail party (made from the juice of salsa).

Lunch Monday: A cold beer for a hot day, Cynthia’s pesto, Kim’s olive tapenade and homemade ricotta.

Loading the jars.

READ THE ENTIRE POST…

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