laundry

I am looking forward to a doing a big heaping load of wash. 
How warped is this?!

I have been traveling for three weeks now and have not done a single load of laundry.
Ew.
I am a bit disgusted myself as I write that~
I've done the traveling thing; washing in the shower a few necessities and hanging to dry over the hotel shower curtain rod...

But not doing laundry isn't my point exactly;
it's the looking forward to doing laundry.

Now that is not something you hear very often....

Especially from a mom of four boys!

To be honest I am craving after a lot of mundane tasks and common place stuff right now:

Eating with a metal utensil...

from a non-disposable container...

Using a curling iron...

Wearing my slippers...

Curling up on a couch...

Cooking-even if just to scramble eggs for Patrick!

 

All things I take for granted regularly when home.

 

All things missed deeply when traveling.

I can't help but draw a parallel in this craving and looking forward to~

I imagine God feeling that way about me. About every human.

Introduced to Him at birth through Catholic baptism, Sunday school and regular church attendance-

I was among those aware of Him;

taking for granted He was part of this world,

part of my life. 

 

I traveled through my growing up simply aware that He was a something, a someone, who was always there. 

Like my silverware, dishes, slippers and cozy couch~

He was just there. 

I never thought what it could possibly be like to not have Him just there....

like the washing machine...or silverware drawer. 

Always there.

 

yet life always had a craving; a longing; a 'something missing'...

 

a 'looking forward to' in which I had no idea what I was forward looking to~

 

Then I went through a period of life-travel; 

traveling onto 

a new way of doing normal,

a new way of doing me. 

And in it I recognized and began to appreciate once again the 'everyday' and 'common place' that I'd been taking for granted.

And I began to look forward to getting home and finding it

embracing it

appreciating it. 

Doing a load of holy laundry!

 

Drawing me so far in that now, 

in this new way, this new 'common place'

I never take for granted,

I'll never be able to take for granted~

I'll never be allowed to take for granted~

But only savor and relish the feel

~metal fork instead of plastic

~china bowl instead of cardboard

~cozy couch instead of pilled-up pillows on desk chair...

 

God relationship rather than God awareness.

 

He's keeping me close by keeping me craving. 

He's not risking my becoming complacent to His presence now that I've fully flung open and shouted through the walls of my heart,

'I'm home!' 

 

The delicious smell of Tide with bleach will not go unappreciated.

The tactile beauty of my Calphalon soup pot will be embraced anew.

My tender traveling toes will slide into cushioned slippers with delicious bliss. 

 

As the love and companionship of my God is each day is delighted in

and looked forward to~

 

My God is in each and every every day

~Reminding me of His pervading and ever-present position.

 

Never letting me fall into routine or take His presence for granted~

delighting in the work-dare I call it such-

He keeps me always craving after,

looking forward to

the little, under appreciated, often overlooked creature comforts of modern life.

 

And in the by and by of this not only better understanding His love and care for me, 

but also His determination

-with a small smirk of delight on His face I believe!-

to never let me get comfortable without appreciating the Comforter~

I might even do two loads. 

And fold it all....ahhhh....

I love my God.

in love. trish

Giants win again!

Did you know your greatest adversary, your giant of confusion, difficulty, testing, is also a giant of blessing, grace and miracle? 

It's true. 

I have proof once again~

Just as in my post Orlando Magic!, God has come  in with a small, precious miracle once again. 

Blowing me away mind you! Is His grace to always be in the small for me? 

If this is so, let it flow! 

(Once again forgive me all you sports fans for purposefully titling this post with the Superbowl favorite; Go Giants! Yes, I am a fan....but it was too perfect to pass up!)

I recently heard that the word for giants in the bible, is in some cases translated 'great'. 

As is the case of Goliath whom David conquers~

Great.

Not something we usually think of when imagining giants. 

Let your mind loose for a moment and humor me for a moment....

 

Imagine if you will traveling across the country, checked bags stuffed full to the 50 pound max, carry-on bursting with last minute 'must have's' and personal suitcase not full of clothing and toiletries as much as more supplies with which to capture the workshop participants full conversion to the amazing medium of encaustic...

here in you have me! 

Loaded down with all the goods to inspire~

Now imagine this same loaded down traveler, coming directly from the aforementioned Orlando Magic! debacle-turned-blessing, 

arriving at the next destination,

only to realize the much needed, can't pull this off without it, main material  for teaching had inadvertently been substituted with a worthless counterfeit! 

How dare the universe continue to challenge and mess with my determined goal to inspire! 

How dare.....

My giant?

A mis-shipped box of supplies.

In Orlando, an untraveled supply case. 

Way back in time-my first encaustic workshop ever-an ill wired electrical circuit and many blown fuses...(note I teach with 'stations' now!? At the time a giant I thought had me beat, but by determinately fighting against, look at me now!?)

Why, or rather, How? you ask...

Standing against each one, each giant, just at my right hand, always going before me~

My God. 

No longer deniable.

Incapable of being written off as coincidence. 

Beyond accepting as my own certain efforts.

My God. 

Small miracles.

In my travel-weary haze my mind raced over the options available; tucked away in the small mountain community of Saluda, NC at the delightful Random Arts  just hours away from the starting gun for a six day immersion between here and Asheville, how was I to find this much needed supply?!

All panic aside, 

all past performance squelched (yes, I've been known to perform a good panic...), 

I did the obvious and made a few phone calls. 

Then I did the necessary;

prayed.

trusted.

determinately believed my God was WAY greater than this little ol' giant~!

and went to bed :)

Guess what? (Need I say it?!)

It worked. It works. He works!

Saving you the nail-biting details of the hours between determined decision and miracle performed, let it be known that 11 wonderful women got full-on waxy on Thursday February 2nd in Saluda! 

And 11 more will do the same today. 

And 15 more will do so, twice over, in Asheville for the next four days....

God did more than perform a miracle to swell my heart with gratitude,

or once again firmly establish me in the blessings of determination of trust, 

and obviously save my hiney! 

He also extended this blessing to each and every participant for this six day tour~

as well as, I hope, everyone finding their way to this post. 

It was with bold confidence I told my God I would tell all who would hear me of His great grace in my life through this small miracle. 

So I tell. 

And swell. 

With blessed trust~

And a quick nod to the UPS driver :)

 

So I say bring on the giants. They may look like unconquerable beasts, but I will forever think of them as 'great'- 

great blessings~

I don't care how boystrous and immovable you make yourself out to be; my God will always stand taller, bolder and more determinately at my right hand than any puny giant any day~

in love. trish

(thank you Marianne for singing this song while painting :)

Mt Dora Florida! wow~

I have had a most wonderful weekend in Mt Dora Florida; my travels have taken me beyond the Orlando magic to this delightful town just north. With a group of 18 wonderful women, and one dynamic birthday-girl venue host-we've had a most inspired, waxy and enlived two days. Sleep has been optional once again. :) I am floored, simply beyond words, how God puts me to work! And how doing his will feeds my mind, body and soul. It's been amazing...and I am now off to North Carolina to feed on more goodness! (Oh! Am I supposed to be bringing the meal?! :) always full by always filling others; it's so good...Thank you Mt Dora! in love. trish.
Workshop put on by Heather Earnest with Foxie Artist Productions :)

we had competition for the space :) an award ceremony for the largest fish took place Saturday afternoon!

The main building where we got waxy all weekend! Lakeside Inn, Mt Dora, FL

No, I didn't take a tour :)

Not seen in Seattle, Washington!

Yes, in January I sat in one and enjoyed the sun and surf :) ahh.....

my room view!

beauty and mess; they go together so well!

hi Paula :)

should've turned the image before posting; my bad~

view this sideways.... :)

woops! How did this somewhat neat place get in here?! :)

ArtFest workshop day II

Getting just a little bit messy we are! :) All in a good way~