Influence of Adoptive Parents
Who influences your image of who you are? Adoptive parents know the feeling of lavishing love on a chosen child before the child can even love them back. Words, like loved, chosen, and adopted, have a sweet ring to them. Families who have experienced earthly adoption connect with this language and concept of being adopted much easier than those of us who just observe it from the outside. Adoption involves sacrifice, expenses, sorrow, blessings, assurance, and joy. It’s a beautiful metaphor for the Christian faith. There are many blessings bestowed by God on His children. We are loved, chosen, adopted, forgiven, alive, and so much more. We are God’s masterpiece! The book of Ephesians, in the Bible, is full of truth and rich with the privileges of being a child of God. Our worth is defined by how God sees us, not how the world sees us or how we feel about ourselves. Christians describe this as being adopted into God’s family. By faith, we become children of God with all the rights and privileges of being His child. This isn’t just a future blessing when we die and go to Heaven, it starts immediately. I get a smile on…
Start Watercolor Painting in 7 Steps
When was the last time you picked up a paintbrush? How to start watercolor painting Brushing transparent watercolor paints onto a fresh white piece of paper and watching them slowly blend towards a design has been more rewarding and easier than I imagined. Start watercolor painting in 7 steps. The supplies and timeframe are minimal. It’s a hobby that you can easily do with just a little free time yet the rewards are big. Imagine spending a few minutes painting a birthday card for a friend rather than spending the same time driving to the store and buying one, or making personalized framable art for your family at Christmas. I do not think of myself as especially talented when it comes to art, but I do have particular art styles that I gravitate towards. I stumbled across the work of Emily Lex and discovered she had watercolor paint workbooks and an online course. I was intrigued. I purchased them and got started a few weeks later. I love her spot illustrations! Keep reading to see a photo of some tiny cards I made during the first few months of my journey. The course was particularly helpful to a novice like…
Gutsy
Which friend of yours is gutsy? gutsy (guht-see) adjective with courage, pluck, or determination adventurous; undaunted, fearless I created this gutsy adjective art design for my youngest daughter. I was inspired by my daughter’s gutsy approach to life in spite of having a chronic disease. I wanted some art to remind her of how proud I am of her. Now I love seeing it in the background of her video chats and weekly family video calls. Adjective Art is a great gift for a friend, child, coworker, or teacher. This piece of art highlights and defines a specific adjective. Choose from 10 adjectives. Adventurous. Artsy. Capable. Classy. Determined. Generous. Gutsy. Inquisitive. Resourceful. Social. Adjective Art is available to download in my Etsy shop immediately upon purchase. The file is an 8×10 jpeg which can be downloaded and printed at home or at a printer of your choice. Grab a frame of your choice and you’ll have a quick, easy, and personal gift. Which adjective best describes your significant other? Print one for the desk. Which one best describes your child’s teacher? Print one for a thoughtful and personal teacher gift. Need a fun secret Santa gift? Adjective art is a…
Framily
What is framily? While framily may not even be a real word in the dictionary yet, most people will be able to define it. Framily is a portmanteau, or a blending, of the two words friends and family. Framily are friends who become our chosen family. This word has been around since the early 2000’s but the concept is not new. When people are apart from family, they often find themselves building a network of support among their friends at work, school, or in the community. In the past few years, people have created covid bubbles for much the same reasons. Whether you are under the same roof, in the same town, or gathering on Thursdays nights for dinner, framily time is good for your heart and soul. It is joyous to have people in your life to support you through the seasons of celebrations and struggles. Sometimes that support comes from both family and framily. Our lives become richer when we share it with others. Our burdens are halved and our joys are doubled. I have been blessed over the years to have various groups of framily to share seasons of life with. So many memories flood my thoughts…