Jerusalem Jackson Greer's Blog, page 16

Amy Julia Becker – Faith, Art, and Motherhood, An Interview

Hi friends! It’s time for anonther installment of FA&M!

I am so honored to have Amy Julia Becker on the blog today sharing with us.  I think you will find a lot of inspiration, and food for thought in her words. I am already planning to create a poster out of one of her quotes. I hope you will take the time to read this interview and to share it with other creative momma’s out there who are struggling to balance all their passions and callings.

All About Amy Julia:

Website Name: www.amyjuliabecker.com

Art Form: Writer

Kids Names/ Ages: Penny, 9, William, almost 7, Marilee, 4

Relationship Status: Married

Expression of Faith: Protestant attending a Covenant Church

Where Do You Live? Rambling old house in a small town in western Connecticut

USA. MADISON, CT – AUGUST 11: Author portraits for Amy Julia Becker’s upcoming book, “Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most.”
CREDIT: Christopher Capozziello

The Questions:

JG: How did you find your creative niche? Was this something you have always done, or did you fall into it by accident?

AJB: Both! I am embarrassed to admit that when I was in 8th grade I spent some time compiling my writing up to that point because I was so certain someone would want it for the national archives or some such place. But by the time I was graduating from college it didn’t cross my mind that I could be a professional writer, so I spent a few years in youth ministry and then applied to seminary with the hopes of becoming a high school chaplain. In the spring before I went to seminary, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with liver cancer. My husband and I became her primary caregivers, and during that time I journaled a lot. Within a few years, those journal entries had become the basis for my first book, and I redirected my seminary energies towards writing about faith.

JG: What a transformative event being a caretaker is.  I love that your path to writing wasn’t a straight arrow. I think that will give readers hope!  OK, so funny side story. My mother (who might be a bit of a conspiracy theory enthusiast –hi mom!)  told me from a very young age never to write anything down that I didn’t want made public. So I too, as a kid, always imagined my journals and papers as being published as some sort of anthology or archived. Of course here I am 40, and I don’t even have a Wiki page. I think maybe I can relax.

JG: Where do you create? Office? Kitchen table?

AJB: It depends. When the kids are home, I retreat to the local library or a coffee shop. Otherwise, I have a desk in what used to be a walk-in closet of sorts.

JG: Do you create best in solitude or in the middle of chaos?

AJB: Definitely solitude.

JG: Sometimes I feel as if writing, parenting, and practicing my faith are all drawing from the same well inside me, that they tax the same part of my heart and the same source of energy. This means that sometimes I use up all of my resources pouring into just one of the three, leaving the other two wanting.  Do you have this same issue, or is it just me?

AJB: Hmm. I would say that the writing gives me energy for parenting. I feel like I should say that the practice of faith gives me energy for both, and I think that’s probably true, but there are many days where I do more writing and parenting than I do anything to overtly practice my faith

JG: Amen sister.

JG: Others have said (and I agree) that these three areas also can inspire each other – do you find that to be true? If so, can you think of an example?

AJB: Pretty much everything I write about has some connection to our children, and even if it’s indirect, some connection to my faith. For example, I’m just starting a new book project about children and reading and families. There’s nothing explicitly Christian about it, but I’m thinking a lot about how as a Christian I believe there is a narrative structure to history and science and our individual lives. Reading with my children engages them in a theological way of seeing the world—as a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. And by ending, I as much mean a purpose as I do a final word. In other words, even this “secular” topic resonates with my life as a parent and as a Christian.

JG: I cannot wait to read this book! I think your statement “Reading with my children engages them in a theological way of seeing the world—as a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. And by ending, I as much mean a purpose as I do a final word,” needs to be made into a poster and hung on the wall in my office. That is a wonderfully profound and yet so accessible idea. My wheels are already turning.

JG: How does your creative process influence or enrich your faith or your parenting?

AJB: I’m certainly less cranky—or, to state it more positively, more patient—with our kids when I’m finding time to write. But I also hope that I’m modeling what it looks like to seek a balance between family and work, all under the umbrella of loving God and loving my neighbor.

JG: What do you do to recharge, or refill the well?

In your creative process?

AJB: I love getting together with other writers, whether in small groups or in larger conference settings. I also love reading good writing. It inspires me.

JG: Yes! I do not have a great writer support system here where I live, in my particular genre, but I have writer friends all over the country and I am forever filling their inboxes with questions. Conferences are an amazing source of connection for me, more than the speakers, I look forward to just being with others in the same field, who speak the same language as me.

In your parenting?

AJB: My husband and I go out for dinner once a week, one on one, which always feels like a mini vacation in the midst of otherwise very full days. We also go away for a few days a few times a year (yay for my mother and my aunt and a few devoted babysitters!), which also recharges me as a parent. I wrote elsewhere recently about having a “ministry of absence” for our kids, and I do believe it blesses us all when we take some time away!

JG: Yes, the “ministry of absence” is huge and so necessary and healthy for all involved. I was left with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends all through the summers as a child, and my parents went on monthly overnight trips when I was in my teens, and both experiences were extremely formative in my maturity. Since my boys were really little we have been happy to send them off to the grandparents or have my sisters come stay with them. I love how they develop their own identities and relationships apart from me and my husband.

In the practicing of your faith?

AJB: I’m just getting back into the habit of “quiet times,” in which I read the Bible systematically and pray for myself and others. Those were impossible for me for many years as a mother of little ones, and I learned a lot in that time. But now that they are old enough to fend for themselves a bit in the morning, I’m really appreciating those spiritual disciplines.  I’m also increasingly grateful for the church as I grow older. I used to see church as a chore, both as a young person and certainly as a mother of small children, but I’m starting to recognize the way it provides a spiritual rhythm to our lives, the way it teaches us to love one another, and they way it connects us to our community.

JG: Preach it. I have found that our world gets faster and more chaotic I appreciate the rhythm of the church year, and its blessed repetitiveness more and more.

JG: Do you have any advice for other mom’s out there who are also trying to learn how to live out their callings as artist, mothers and followers of Christ?

AJB: Motherhood will always involve sacrifice, and that will mean some degree of sacrificing your creative work. When I first started writing and was bemoaning how long it took me to write anything, my husband said, “I hope you will be writing books for the next fifty years. Keep the long view in mind.” So my first word of advice is to keep going, even if it’s in frustratingly small increments. But the second thing I would say is if you feel that creative piece of yourself just withering inside, figure out a way to create more often. Pray for help. Pay a babysitter. Do a childcare swap with a neighbor. Do whatever it takes to keep that piece of you alive.

JG: What is something you wish someone had told you earlier on about trying to juggle these areas?

AJB:  I think people said helpful things to me but I just didn’t believe them! A number of people told me that it wouldn’t be long before more time became available, and to pay attention to the seasons of life and trust that they will change. I didn’t really want to heed the advice of slowing down.

JG: Oh yes. I have eaten a lot of crow. Listen to your elders friends! They do know what they are talking about!

JG: What are some specific challenges you are facing right now in all three of these areas? 

AJB: Well, just this week I “completed” my blog of the past six years, and part of that decision had to do with not being able to balance writing and family life. I realized I hadn’t written anything longer than a blog post in over a year. It was time to let that go in order to work on larger and more sustained projects.

JG: Yes! I find it hard to switch between blog mode and book mode. Not everyone does, but I do. But I do hope you will find a blogging venue again eventually!

JG:If you could pick the brain of any other creative momma out there, who would you want to talk to?

AJB: Almost all of the women I most admire as writers aren’t juggling young children. In some cases they have never had children. Others have one child. I think of Anne Lamott, Kathleen Norris, Mary Karr, Marilynne Robinson. I have a number of friends who are writers with kids, so I feel like I already have access to the ones who are similar to me!

JG: Your list is very similar to mine ;)

JG: How can I, and my readers, pray for you?

AJB: I will always take prayer that my writing will bear fruit.

JG: Ah yes. I will always take those prayers as well!

Thank you so much Amy Julia for talking with me and for sharing your thoughts! I really, really, appreciate it!

If you want to read more from Amy Julia check out her latest book, Small Talk or any of her other works!

Much love!

 

Filed under: Blog, Faith Tagged: At the Intersection, featured, Motherhood

Farmer’s Market Bread Pudding

Farmer’s Market Savory Bread Pudding

This is one of our families all-time favorite side-dishes, but it can also be a main dish for vegetarians.
I change-up the veggies to whatever is in season, whatever we have in the garden, or can find at our wonderful Farmer’s Markets. I posted this forever ago (which explains most of the less-than-steallar-images,) and I thought since Farmer’s Market season is upon us I would share it again! The recipe was inspired by a similar one by Katie Brown, and the first time I posted it I did so in honor of a local market that was opening in our old town.
A lot has changed since then, but the recipe is still the same amd just as good (or better!)

Directions
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees
* Grease 2 quart baking dish and set aside OR you can make this dish in a enamel cast iron baking dish from stove top to oven.


ingredients
1 Zucchini, sliced. Each slice about 1/4 inch thick.
1 Yellow Squash, sliced. Each about 1/4 inch thick.
1/2 cup of corn – frozen or fresh-cut off the cob
3 cups fresh Spinach or Kale ( I think Kale taste the best!) chopped
1 cup red onion, diced.
3 garlic cloves, minced
Set aside
5 cups cubed sourdough bread (really any day old or leftover, crusty artisan bread will work.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
     OR 2 – 3 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1 cup of Swiss cheese (mozzarella and cheddar will work in a pinch.)

2 cups 2% Milk (or for a richer dish use 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk)
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
3-5 tbsp of olive oil



Cook all the veggies and garlic in olive oil (3-5 tbsp.) over medium head in a skillet or in a cast iron baking dish for about 3 minutes or until the veggies become semi-translucent.


Remove veggies from heat and stir in bread, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and all the herbs.



Transfer all of this to a  well-greased baking dish (if you are using 2 pans)
Make sure mixture is spread evenly in dish.


In a separate bowl whisk together,
2 cups 2% Milk (or for a richer dish use 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk)
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Next, pour egg/milk mixture over bread and veggies.
Stir.


Cover  with another 1/2 cup of cheese and  walnuts


 Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.




Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

* This recipe is from the chapter on Michaelmas in my book A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together *

Enjoy!


Filed under: Blog, Feast Tagged: A Homemade Year, Cooking, Feast, featured

Oh Baby!

Way back in December we welcomed a new member into our family.  In the days leading up to Christmas, my nephew Squish (okay, that’s not his real name, but that is what I call him,) came into the world and into the arms of my sister Jemimah and her husband Adam, through an amazing sequence of events that was sealed with Squish’ adoption in March. And if you follow me on Instagram you will notice that I am a tad enamoured with my very first nephew! I have waited a long time to be an Auntie, and I am soaking it up!

Our youngest sister Judea (who now lives in Austin,) wasn’t able to be home for his birth or adoption, so when she said she was coming up for Mother’s Day weekend, we knew we had to seize the moment and throw a party to celebrate Squish’s birth/adoption and Jemimah’s first (and long-awaited) Mother’s Day.  So I hastily sent out Facebook invites (no one is winning any southern hospitality awards here,) and scavenged the few party supplies that I randomly hand on hand to come up with a “theme.”  Which in the end was pretty much “baby, circus, and primary colors.” I used decorations leftover from a baby shower I threw years ago, clipped some scrapbook and flash cards to some ric-rac ribbon, covered everything with colorful wrapping paper, and called it a theme!

Because my house is now way out-of-the-way for everyone whom we were inviting, I rented out a local bakery called Sweet Love  (owned by my friend Kelli Marks,) as our venue for the shower.  Sweet Love is charming, adorable, and was the perfect venue to hold a drop-in shower. Plus Kelli, and my friend Christen who also works there, made the process super easy and the treats super yummy. A win-win since I have been swamped at work and with our remodel.

Judea made a delicious punch, my mom brought meatballs and cucumber sandwiches, and Sweet Love provided cupcakes and cookies. Miles (my 10 yr old,) handled a lot of the decorating. arranged all the cookies, and cupcakes, and even made a “Welcome Jax” sign.  So. Precious. When he was done he said, “Wow Momma. Now I know why you aren’t a decorator anymore! This is a lot of work!.” Ha!

I always get so busy once the events start that I never get enough pictures of PEOPLE. But I did manage to snap a few at the very beginning, and  I love this one of my Maw watching Jemimah feed Squish. My Maw is 90 years old and look at her precious style and beautiful hair.  I am grateful for every minute I get to spend with her. HUGE thanks to my Aunt Tei for bringing her to the party.  

The story of Squish is really Jemimah’s to tell, and she promises me that she will blog about it all eventually.  But until she does, let me just say that it is a story of miracles. The kind that gives you goosebumps and raises the hair on the back of your neck.  I still can’t believe it all happened, and yet it feels as if it was always meant to be. As if his amazing arrival into our family is most natural thing in the world.  Which, I think, in the end, it is.

Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, my sister posted this on her Facebook page, and I thought it was the best way to end this post, because it speaks to the heartbreak and the joy that my sister has experienced, and it is her wish and prayer for other waiting mommas out there.

I can’t even believe I’m a momma sometimes. It’s hard to remember what I did all the time before this guy. Oh yeah sleep and eat with both hands :) But while I’m celebrating this amazing gift this year for the first time, I still remember how it felt before him. How it felt to long for a child and how it felt to be a hopeful adoptive mom. These two kinds of mommas will always hold a special place for me. They are a huge part of who I am and God has used those times to teach me so much. They were not without pain. They were not without tears. But He was with me the whole time. So I just want to let all those waiting mommas and hopeful foster/adoptive mommas out there know you are loved. You are not forgotten. He is with you in the waiting. He loves YOU. no matter if you have a baby, or 10 or none. you are more important than a rose on a certain Sunday, or a handwritten card or an added title to your name. And I will hug you. I will pray for you. I will cry with you and for you when you are at the end of your rope from all the waiting. Happy Mother’s Day to those with babies in their arms and those that are waiting.

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much love friends!

Filed under: Blog, Fluff Tagged: featured, party

Friday Favorites – Happiness from the Interwebs 5.8.15

 

Hello! Life has been a bit of whirly dervish lately and I haven’t has had much time for blogging as I would like. BUT I did find some happiness on the interwebs to share with you – so here are a few fun links I think you might enjoy:

 

On Faith

Hiking, picnics, kite flying…

Writing about how to celebrate Ascension Day at home over at Building Faith. Thanks to Alison Chino for lending me some pics!

 

On Farmstead

My new favorite farm blog is Fairview Farm Life. I mean, look at that face! And I love Julie Case’s appreciation of the simple and the present.

 

On Fluff

The work bench we were thinking of using in our kitchen as an island is just a little too big, so now I am looking at other options. I love this DIY island/cart from Paper Daisy Designs. So doable!

 

On Food

 

I made these slow cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches from Yummy Healthy Easy and they were so good. Defiantly going on our regular meal rotation!

 

On Family

Loved this great article from The Beetle Shack about returning to work after a season of Stay-at-Home motherhood. Honesty, encouragement, love.

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So there you go! A little reading for your weekend :)

Much Love Friends,

J

Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured, Friday Favorites

All The Things

 

So yes. That is me. And the Anne Lamott.

And she looks WAY less excited about meeting me than I am about meeting her.

Which is how it should be really.

Getting to hear her speak in person was a dream come true. Her writing helped to save my faith, and my sanity as a new mother, and I might have been a little over excited about getting to meet her.

But meeting Anne is just one of many things happening around here lately.

After much stalking of Craigslist I found the perfect boat for our pond.

Here are the boys and their friend Pax taking her for an inaugural row around the pond.

I cannot wait to get out there in it myself!

My Maw finally got to come see Preservation Acres. My mother, sister, and nephew also came for a visit.

Memories are made of this.

The weather has been amazing and perfect for porch sittin’.

Of course this means all the animals come calling for their hugs.

Everyone wants to hug the momma.

This pic of my messy bedroom on Instagram got more likes than just about any other.

Seems I am not the only one with a latent teenage girl inside. Ha!

But just so those neat-nicks don’t worry, look! I do clean it up now and then :)

I am loving spring in the country. Rainbows, tall grass, neon green trees, overgrown patches… It is all so dreamy and I have to pinch myself often that we get to live here.

I went to Chicago for the Faith Forward Conference and had an amazing time, met up with old friends and made beautiful new ones. So grateful for the community, encouragement, and inspiration that I found there. But oh goodness, my hair and skin missed the Arkansas humidity!

Last Saturday our truck broke down in the parking lot of a gas station and Miles and I had to hang out while Sweet Man tried to fix it. Luckily it was a brand new gas station with fun bunting and yummy snacks. The beautiful blue skies didn’t hurt either.

Our kitchen is getting closer and closer!

My in-laws came for the weekend and helped Sweet Man knock out the countertops, dishwasher, and sink, along with mowing our overgrown acres, while I worked a youth lock-in and 3-event Sunday.

I am so very grateful for their help and love – seriously. I really was beginning to wonder if we were going to drown under our to-do list, but now I can see a big bright, shiny, light at the end of the tunnel!

Speaking of the lock-in, this is what my cart looked like before hand. I bought ALL the things and prayed that I would survive the night.

Thankfully I got a few hours of sleep and the kids all had fun. Success!

 

If there was any doubt that I am a church nerd, I think this stack of books does away with it.

I love learning more and more about our tradition and practices. Most things have a really well thought-out reason or meaning behind them, which I appreciate so much.  Some people find tradition and ritual to be rote, but I find to be comforting and roomy.

 

Speaking of our traditions, ever wonder why Episcopal churches have red doors? (This is our church at the break of dawn.)

There isn’t one official answer that I can find,  but historically red doors of churches traditionally indicated a place of sanctuary, refuge, and safety. Those in need would not be captured or harmed inside the holy walls of the church, which offered physical and spiritual protection. Also, red symbolizes the sacrificial blood of Christ, and so some say the doors began to be painted red as a way of remembering the ultimate sacrifice that.  Red is also a reminder of the Passover and a sign of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, and the doors proclaim that the church is a place of the Spirit.

 

So there have it. All the things going around here lately, plus a little extra.

Much love!

 

 

Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured

Sara Groves – Faith, Art, and Motherhood; An Interview

In my life there are a handful of pivotal moments and bittersweet seasons when my life was turned on its head and changed forever. Often, these moments and seasons have been marked in time by words I have read or songs I heard at that specific junction in time. They became the soundtrack and the narration of those times, forever bound up in my heart. They are the words an melodies that helped me move through those moments and seasons with faith and hope. They are what propelled me forward, soothed the dryness in my soul, and comforted my anxious heart.  They are part of the fabric of who I am today, and I cannot separate my journey from them.

Sara Groves is an artist whose songs belong to that group.  Her songs Painting Pictures of Egypt and Remember Surrender were songs I clung to for dear life when a particular church season was ending.  Her entire album Fireflies and Songs I am pretty sure is about my life, and is the soundtrack to a season in my life whose thread seemed to be theme of Letting Go.  Tent in the Center of Town (live version) gives me chills almost every time I listen to it, and I know that it is a call that I will someday figure out. And finally, there is her Christmas album O Holy Night, which is hands down the best Christmas album ever. I get giddy every November when I realize it is almost time to break it out.

So today, I am beyond excited and honored to be able to share with you my interview with Sara, about how she – like many of us – does life at the intersection of faith, art, and motherhood.

The Details:

Website Name:  Saragroves.com

Art Form: Singer/songwriter

Kids Names/ Ages: Kirby 14, Toby, 11, Ruby 7

Relationship Status: Married to Troy

Expression of Faith: Cedar Valley Church –But I grew up in the Assemblies of God

Where Do You Live? – Small old renovated house in St Paul, MN

Now the questions ;)

J: How did you find your creative niche? Was this something you have always done, or did you fall into it by accident?

S: I have been writing songs since I was a girl – it has been my outlet for a while, but I never expected it to become a career.  It wasn’t an accident, and I wasn’t reluctant, I just didn’t think that it was possible.  My father-in-law and husband really lead the way for me to record my first independent record in 1997.  After that, things just continued to unfold.  As far as finding a niche – that’s an interesting question.  I came up in CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) which is the only genre of music defined by lyrical content alone.  Within CCM you have every genre imaginable.  So, my niche is a niche within a niche! Some days I wonder what I would do differently if I had come up in a different framework – my passion is the integration of faith and life, tearing down the walls between sacred and secular – but the CCM paradigm is defined by strengthening those terms.  That has made it interesting to find my place in CCM.

 J: Oh I love that! Yes, let’s tear down ALL those walls!  Where do you create? Office? Kitchen table? 

S: I bought a piano in college, and I have written almost every song on that piano.  It is in my living room now, which can make it challenging to follow inspiration.  I used to have a larger home with a studio, but three years ago we moved into the city, purchased an old church and a much smaller house.  The church building is called Art House North, and is a dedicated space for art community.  It is in use all week-long for different creative endeavors, which has been wonderful, but it can be hard to find time alone there to write.  These days I find myself writing at home when the kids are at school. I used to always play at night, from 10 – midnight, but that was when I had small kids at home.  It is hard for me to make space for writing.  Even though it is my vocation, it is pushed into the margins.  I am also not great about regular disciplines, like writing everyday.  I have wondered how my music would change if I wrote in a more regimented way.  As things are, passions, thoughts, conflicts, and emotions build up like a steam inside me until I have to write.  Writing serves a very real purpose in my life.  It helps me sort things out and find clarity.

 J: I struggle in similar ways to fit my writing in, and days when I am at the house by myself are by far my most productive.  Do you create best in solitude or in the middle of chaos?

S: I need solitude and a lot of time.  My mom is an educator, and she used to talk about the ‘dance’ that every student does before they are ready to learn.  Some kids can get right to work, while some kids have to get a drink, adjust things on their desk, sharpen their pencil, have things a certain way.  She has always said that I have the longest dance she has ever seen!  It is hard for me to work if I do not have a block of time, and I can find a lot of other things to do when I’m supposed to be writing!

J: A dance! I love that. I am adopting that phrase because I am also very much that way! There is always something else I could be doing other than writing.  Sometimes I feel as if writing, parenting, and the practicing my faith are all drawing from the same well inside me, that they tax the same part of my heart and the same source of energy. This means that sometimes I use up all of my resources pouring into just one of the three, leaving the other two wanting.  Do you have this same issue, or is it just me? 

S: I understand what you are saying.  We are finite with limited resources.  But I have found another economy with creativity and divine elements that transcend commodity.  One example of this is that with creativity (as with spiritual formation) slow is fast, wasteful is productive.  The artist Mako Fujimura writes in his essay Tears for Fragile Emanations: A Lenten Reflection 

“As an artist, I swim directly against the current of utilitarian pragmatism, and have been sensitized to its dehumanizing effects.  The bottom line of efficiency, the bottom line of survival, has taken over culture.  I smell them in every church, in every institution.” 

The very space needed to create can be seen as “extravagant and wasteful”.  I can detect that same thinking in myself – what is the utility of a new song? What is it for?  But when I take the time to create space and time for writing, useful or not, there is a strange multiplier at work.  The same can be said of spiritual formation.  The very idea of Sabbath could be seen as wasteful, but I know it is not.  These callings, given their own time, pour over into each other.  This inspires me because it means there is another economy at work.  If I had to fill all of those cups myself – my husband, my kids, my music, my own faith journey – I would fall extremely short.  I DO fall extremely short.

With that said, I often feel lacking in all areas of my life – that’s not just you – ha!

J: I think I need to frame that quote. If you only knew how many times I have asked myself lately, “Why am I doing this?” when it comes to my writing and creating. Good to know I am not alone in that question.   Others have said (and I agree) that these three areas also can inspire each other – do you find that to be true? If so, can you think of an example?

S: I wish I could find it, but after her first son was born, Sandra McCracken wrote a beautiful piece about how she feared her new baby would absorb all of her time to be creative.  She said a unique thing happened.  She did have less time, but when she went to write, she found the margins of her life were verdant with ideas, green with inspiration and creativity.  Her life gave her something to write about.  She said it better, but I have to say, ‘Amen’!  One of my favorite songwriters, Pierce Pettis, sings, “Everything matters if anything matters at all.”  Faith, our gifts, our relationships are integrated, like it or not.  We might try to compartmentalize our time, but I think the best and most true creative expression comes when we don’t compartmentalize our lives, when we push back against definition/labels, and let some unedited stuff come out.  We don’t have to share everything with everyone, but to get somewhere, you have to let it all flow together, even if you don’t understand it.

 J: Less time but more ideas – yes!  So, h ow does your creative process influence or enrich your faith or your parenting?

S: Well, I don’t want this to sound too weighty, but my faith process and my creative process are kind of the same thing.  I work out my salvation like a puzzle, somewhere between scripture, prayer, deep frustration, internal conflict, the way things are, human suffering, joy, the need to be loved, my own weakness, God’s mystery, His goodness – I get a word picture, or a metaphor, and it helps me get a foothold.  Maybe once in a great while I will write a song just to write a song, but often they are working on me, and I have to get the ideas out.  Many times the song comes before I am even aware that there is a question or an issue.  Some of my most deeply rewarding songs were recorded on albums before I fully understood what they were about.  I don’t mean the words were that unintelligible, but that I might say to myself, “I’m writing about this person, or that situation over there,” when in reality I am writing about a deep feeling I have inside, much closer to home.   That all sounds so serious.  It is, I guess.  Maybe not serious, but crucial.

 J: Just two weeks ago I heard Anne Lamott speak and she said that she often doesn’t know what a chapter or an essay is about until she is neck-deep in it. I think this is the same thing. We have to do the work to find the good stuff buried underneath all the noise of our lives. Speaking of noise, what do you do to recharge, or refill the well?

In your creative process?

S: Creativity begets creativity, so if I have a block, sometimes I will do another creative activity instead of just staring at the problem waiting for solutions.  For one record I made aprons, for another I crocheted slippers, for another one I bought an electric guitar and a Boss loop/reverb pedal, and just tried to play something cool.

In your parenting?

S: I listen to a lot of mentors, and I interview people I admire.  I try to remember to have fun!  My husband is good for me in that regard.  He plays well, and is good at inviting others to play.  I love what Andi Ashworth has taught me about thinking vocationally about every area of my life instead of just the stuff I get paid for.  Thinking vocationally about parenting means bringing the whole of my creativity and gifts to parenting, problem solving, hospitality.

In the practicing of your faith?

S: I am really blessed to get to travel and hear from neat people.  I feel like I get so much rich content, and things to chew on.  I also get to visit all kinds of churches from a variety of denominations.  I think every pastor should go on the road with me to see what I have seen!  I used to think of the Body of Christ as my local congregation, but now I see that it is the whole thing.  I can see the strengths of each group, and how they bring a value to the whole.  The sad part of that is that each part pretty much thinks it is the whole body, or they are quick to discredit the contribution of the others.

 J: Good stuff! I especially love the parts about vocation and parenting, . Vocation as a theme or way of being and not as just a task is something I am really digging into right now, so this hits home for me. Also loved the creativity-begets- creativity. Which is why we have to keep creating to keep the juices flowing. 

Do you have any advice for other mom’s out there who are also trying to learn how to live out their callings as artist, mothers and followers of Christ?

S: A few things come to mind, but I will share a story.  I was playing with some younger musicians recently and they were defining themselves (as young people are prone to do, and as I am prone to do), but in their self-identifying there was a lot of judgment about what was relevant, cool, etc.  I left feeling really beat up, and down.  I went for a walk to think, and was just crying and feeling sorry for myself.  I said, “God if you really want me to make another album, you are going to have to make it VERY clear.  There are MILLIONS of people making CDs, and there are MILLIONS of songs; why would I add to the noise?”  While I was praying, this bird landed right by me – extraordinarily close – and just went to town singing.  I literally stopped a few times to say, “Do you mind?” or “How am I supposed to concentrate with you singing like that right in my ear!”  I went on asking my questions until a thought descended on me like a cool mist.  The thought was, “Sara, there are MILLIONS of birds.  MILLIONS of them are singing right now.  Would you have this one stop?”  Nope.  I shook my head.  No.  Sing on, friends.

 J: Ok, I think Sing On, Friends needs to BE a song.  Love that. May have to embroider it on a pillow – what a beautiful image! And especially at this time in history when we are all so tempted to “compare our insides to someone elses outsides.”  So, earlier you talked about listening to mentors and people you admire –  What is something you wish someone had told you earlier on about trying to juggle these areas?

S: I wish someone had explained the ‘tyranny of the urgent’ to me, and that there will always be things that seem urgent that require your immediate attention.   When it comes down to it, we create a lot of our own drama in that regard. You have to fight to make space for the longer work. This goes for opportunities too.  They will come again, even things you think will never come again.

J: Yes, and Amen. The ‘tyranny of the urgent’ is death.  Especially because life keeps moving – what is ‘urgent’ keeps changing. Better to figure out what matters vs. what feels urgent.  How has the process of creating and parenting changed as your kids have grown?

S: Wow.  That’s a good one too.  I hope I am always changing as they change.  Nothing is static.  One thing I appreciated about my mom was that she always treated me like an adult in the making.  She saw my value, and placed a lot of value on my ideas, questions.  Sometimes I think parents forget that their kids are going to be adults very soon… I think treating them with respect is important.  I haven’t always done that well, but it has always been a goal.

J: Solidarity sister! At our house we say “we aren’t trying to raise happy kids, we are trying to raise whole humans!”  So in the midst of your ever-changing life, what are some specific challenges you are facing right now in all three of these areas? 

S: Well, again my life tends to slide into one big pile, so if I am having issues in one area, I am having issues everywhere!  Right now I am working on living my intentions or my values instead of my feelings.  If that sounds clinical, it is straight from my therapy sessions!  I struggle with anxiety – when it is in full gear, that is a very physical experience.  I don’t want it to shape my life, so I am working on accepting the way I feel, and doing stuff anyway, even if I feel afraid or uncomfortable.

 J: Thank goodness for therapy, right?   If you could pick the brain of any other creative momma out there, who would you want to talk to?

S: Martha Stewart

J: Ha! Love it! What would you ask her?

S: What’s your deal?!  You’re making the rest of us look bad! Slow down just a little.

J: No kidding. I mean I love her, but jeez.  

And finally, how can I, and my readers, pray for you?

S: Finishing the record I’m working on now!  I am excited about it… it talks about a lot of these very things.

 J: I will absolutely pray for that – and not just because I can’t wait to hear it ;)  Thanks so much Sara for doing this – talking to you is a dream come true!!

S: Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this series!

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

So there you have it friends. Some really great stuff from the amazing Sara Groves. Love her!

I am trying to not pay any mind to the ‘tyranny of the urgent,’ and embrace slow living this week – hope you will do the same!

Much Love,

J

Other Faith, Art, and  Motherhood Interviews can be found HERE (including Sarah Bessey, Shauna Niequist, Christa Wells, Megan Tietz and more!)

 

Filed under: Blog, Faith Tagged: At the Intersection, featured, Motherhood

Friday Favs- Interweb Round-Up for 4-17-15

Hi friends –

Here are my favorite links from the past week – enjoy!

 

On Faith:

From my friend Jenn on Ghost and Grace and returning to the church that broke her heart.

“Suddenly, I realized what had been tugging at me all week. It was that voice in my head that I’ve been trying so hard to listening to these days. The voice that says, “Slow down. Look around. Be present. Be grateful. Acknowledge your imperfections. Lean in. Let it hurt. Be you.”

 

On Farmstead

Wondering if this would work for my “petting zoo” and our garden area next year….

 

On Family

A different kind of Spring Cleaning from The Art of Simple’s Tsh Oxenreider

I love this as I am constantly trying how to figure out how to just be me, no worries for what everyone else and every other family is doing.

 

On Feast

Cranberry Chutney. I am obsessed. I have taken to eating it on so many things, especially on chicken and rice.

 

On Fete

Next month I am helping to throw a shower for my sister Jemimah to celebrate the adoption of my nephew Squish (that is my name for him :)

We are having the shower at local bakery that closes on Saturday afternoons, and I am having so much fun looking for inspiration and ideas.

These printable alphabet block boxes from Elli.com are just precious. The perfect thing to put a chocolate truffle or mini cookie stack as party favors.

 

On Fluff

I am going to Chicago next week for a conference, and I am determined to hit Ikea while I am there and pick up these. I want to create two long runners from multiple rugs for our hall and entryway. Once I see the colors in person I will decide if I am going to stick with one pattern or mix-n-match (which is what I am hoping to do!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus:

Put a Bird On It!

A few Sunday’s ago I spoke about Emily Dickenson, Abraham, and Hope at our church… You can listen HERE

 

That’s all for today!

Hope you have a lovely weekend and that it is just what you need it to be –

xo

 

 

 

 

PS – A Homemade Year is on sale for Mother’s Day! Click HERE to see!

Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured, Friday Favorites

We’re Getting There! A #SlowHome Kitchen Update

 

Well, we aren’t done with our kitchen yet, but we are getting so much closer!

To get proper perspective, let’s do a little recap, shall we?

October 2014

This is what the kitchen looked like when we moved in mid-October.

Vinyl flooring, dark cabinets, blue countertops…  A good size kitchen in need of a little love and an update.

November 2014:

The first thing we did was take all the lower cabinets and appliances out, and then laid and whitewashed the floors.

Then this is how the kitchen remained for months, while we got through Christmas, and a very wet winter, debated  whether or not we would re-use and paint the cabinets we had, or buy all new.

February 2015:

It took a while but we finally made a decision, and  we eventually ordered new (on sale of course,) cabinets from a big box store.

We went with mostly bottoms cabinets, one small upper cabinet,  and a pantry, deciding to do open shelving in the majority of the kitchen.

I know that there are drawbacks to having a lot of open shelving, but I just want this kitchen to feel as light and airy as possible, and I knew that bringing in full upper cabinets would cause the kitchen to feel smaller and cramped.

March 2015: 

The next decision we had to make was regarding the backsplash and the planked wall. What materials to use, how high to take the planking, and on which walls.

At some point in March, after much debating and mulling over all our options, we decided to plank the entire back wall and  only  plank 1/3 of the side walls. We used with unfinished pine flooring, fastened upside down (so you can see the grooves) to help change-up the texture a bit from the floor. The decision to use the flooring fit our budget perfectly, as it was  all leftover and already paid for. Whoo hoo!

 

Which brings us to this week.

April 2015:

(And now you know that I am not kidding when I say we have embraced the #SlowHome philosophy of DIY. )

This week we painted and sealed all the planked walls. I did consider briefly leaving the natural wood because it was so warm and lovely. But in the end it began to look like a log cabin, and while I might be slightly more in love with natural wood right now than usual, the log cabin look is not what I am going for.

So we painted the walls using a leftover can of paint from the last house (again, already paid for! Whoo hoo!)

The color is Divine Horizon from Target, but I had it color matched, and mixed, in a Kilz base at Home Depot.

It reads a lot more green in this room than it did in the cottage, but that has everything to do with lighting. I think once we get the flourescent lights vamoosed and the new lights put it, the color will calm down a bit.

 

We sealed the walls with this polyurethane to make them easier to clean and more kitchen-functional, where there is always water, grease, and splatters. At least in my kitchens. Overall I like this product, except that because it goes on so thick, it can leave yellow-ish patches if you don’t get it spread out just right.  But I love how durable it feels.

 

 

Another thing we have accomplished this week is that Sweet Man built this amazing window frame. I adore how big it is, and the clean lines. It looks even better than I had imagined it would when I showed him what I wanted.

Now I am jonesing to have the rest of the windows in the house done. But that is not a high priority at the moment.

 

 

I found these huge brackets at the antique show this weekend for $15 a piece. I wasn’t sure how we would use them but I couldn’t pass them up.

I blame Joanna Gaines for this.

Currently we are contemplating ways to turn them into our range hood cover, if we can figure out the dimensions, and how to secure them. I think we have come up with a plan, but I will have to wait and see.

Right now we  is all about getting the countertops done…  Sweet Man is installing them today, but of course I am still taking my sweet time deciding on the finish- do I want dark stained countertops (they are wood,) or natural… Decisions, decisions…

So there you have it friends! A little #SlowHome kitchen update for you.

And remember:

 

 

XO friends!

 

Filed under: Blog, Farm, Fluff Tagged: featured, My Home

On 9 Years of Blogging

Last week was  my blogiversary.  Nine years.  Almost a decade.

I started blogging because I realized that I could pair pictures with my words. Which is how my mind works.  There are artist out there who think only in images and there are writers who think only in words.

I am some sort of hybrid. I think in both 80% of the time at least. Maybe 90%.

When I began blogging, back in the stone age,  I had no idea what sort of blogger I wanted to be, or if I would even keep it up for very long.

Now, nine years later, I still can’t really tell you what sort of blogger I am (faith? home? mommy? craft?,) but I can tell you that I think I will keep it up a little longer.

Why?

Because this blog has been the greatest gift to me.

For nine years I have posted birthday parties, holidays,  new ideas, exciting news, disappointments, messes, changes, losses, fresh starts, projects, wishes, dreams, growing kids, hard truths, likes, dislikes, favorite moments, stuff I want, stuff I have, stuff I am watching or reading or thinking about, and a few deep thoughts.

This blog is an amazing time capsule full of so many memories. There are so many images and words that I would have long ago forgotten if I hadn’t recorded them here. The way my life is cataloged on these pages always surprises and amazes me.  More than once I have looked through the archvies to try and place a time or an event.  What a gift to be able to travel back in time and trace the beautiful, sometimes rocky, winding road, that is my life.

In addition to this time-traveling gift, there have been other amazing benefits in exchange for the hours spent tapping the keyboard and editing pictures. Because of this blog I have made amazing friends, stretched my writing wings,  become a better photographer, and had the opportunity to try products I would never be able to afford otherwise.

This has always been my experimenting place and will all continue to be. This is the place where I try things out. Sometimes I fail (never sold an a blog advertisement in my life,) and sometimes I succeed (remember when we built a house together?)  I have never gone viral, but I have been noticed.

My “platform” isn’t huge, but it isn’t miniscule either.

I don’t make money from the blog directly, but I have had financial opportunities open up because of the work I do here.

I have a blog-identity crisis at least once a year and I have changed the blogs name at least three times – finally settling on what it should have always been – my name. Fingers crossed – I think I have finally found a rhythm and “vibe” that fits me best,  but I imagine that as I (and my life,) continue to grow and change, so will this blog.

I have tried vlogging (something I want to do more of but still find very clunky,) and I am determined to trying podcasting after I turn in Book 2. I adore Instagram, and Pinterest is a miracle for inspiration,  but this blog will always be my first love.

Some people write their blogs for themselves and some people write for others.  I do both. I write to share. I write to remember. I write to encourage. I write to inspire. I write to figure out what I think.  When I write, I imagine that you are with me, listening, nodding, adding in your two cents. As if I am sharing my thoughts with you over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, while we eat the last of the Easter candy

I tried to think of tips and wisdom that I could share about what I have learned from blogging over the past nine years, but my friend Alison pretty much summed it all up in her series, A Bloggers Journey  – which if you are new to blogging or considering blogging you should ABSOLUTELY read.

So I guess, in the end, what I really want to say on this occasion of my 9th Blogiversary is this:

THANK YOU.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for following along.

Thank you for your encouragement, your friendship, your words of wisdom, and your prayers.

Thank you for showing up and cheering me on.

Thank you for being here and thank you for coming back.

Thank you for being you and for liking me.

Much love always-

J

Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured

Friday Favorites – Interweb Round-Up 4/10/15

Hi friends!

It is ten till twelve, and I am getting this post in with minutes to spare!

Here are a few favorite finds from around the interwebs this week:

On Family

A new favorite blog – Lundagard

“How we look at this with raising children, I have long wanted to write about but there is so much I could say about it so I will never try. However, there are three practical things I wish that our children get from home, a basic knowledge of how to cook their food, builds his house and sew their clothes. “

 

 On Fluff

Love this collage wall from Megan Modderman. It just makes me so, so, happy. Once all our belongings are unpacked at last, I may have to give something like this a shot in our bedroom….

 

On Farmstead

Latest obsession: A Greenhouse workshop. Part actual greenhouse, part tea-party room, part art studio, part napping spot…

And of course, Rachel has one…

 

On Faith

On Holy Monday I had the honor of delivering the very short homily. Here is the link to that sermon:

The Space Between Hosanna and Alleluia

 

Making Me So Happy

What this artist does with these dolls is precious! Absolutely love it.

 

Hope your weekend is lovely ,

J

Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured, Friday Favorites