What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Happy Thoughts

Warm greetings to all the WOYWWers and other blog friends who drop by!  I've taken a super close up of my desk today because even I can't take the pile on it.  Not inspiring at all!  I am preparing for a trip and everything is in chaos!

But, as this wonderful ATC from Kimberly says, even with a messy desk, "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."  Kimberly is having "52 Weeks, 52 Artists, 52 Trades" so if you want to have one of her beautiful ATCs, go visit her lovely blog!

And speaking of being happy, here is a page from my prayer journal.  May this verse become more and more true in my life...

Why not spread some happiness and visit blog friends over at WOYWW, Inspire Me Monday and Word Art Wednesday!  And there's still time to join Lulu's great giveaway!  There's a whole bunch of goodies to win!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Prayer Journal in Progress

Happy What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, my dear blog friends!  On my desk are my standard journaling materials, and the page I am working on today...

If you happened to visit my previous post, you will know that this week we are celebrating the The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  This week is "about Christians deciding to make up.  We have called each other names in the past, and now we want to give each other one name that unites us all together, the name that links us to Christ, Christians, so that we can be friends again...Christian unity is about our different churches choosing to be friends, even though we are very different, copying the Lord who calls us all friends."  - Sword of the Spirit Reflection Guide.  We do not have to agree all the time to be friends.  We do not have to express our faith in the same way to be friends.  Let us stretch out our hands in friendship with one another. (Sharing this in Word Art Wednesday)

Aside from journal stuff, I also have a Christmas tag I won from Wendy, an ATC made by Joy and a re-usable card from Lindley.  Lindley didn't write directly on the card so that it can be reused!

Drop by the Stamping Ground for other desks to visit!

What Does God Require of Us? The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Every year, The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated around the world (traditionally from January 18 to 25).  This year's theme comes from this bible verse:

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?‘ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  (Micah 6: 6-8)

Is Christ divided? (1Cor 1:13). For this reason we gather in worship to pray for that unity which Christ wills for his Church, and we are called to break down such walls of divisions among and between us. - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Brochure 2013 

Let us love one another because He first loved us.

I'm sharing this with blog friends in Inspire Me Monday, Monday Mantras Inspirational and Word Art Wednesday.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: A Hat, A Cat and All That

It seems Wednesdays are the only days I get to post on my blog, thanks to our weekly link party, WOYWW, where we can travel the world peeking at desks full of arts and crafts and all sorts of other stuff.  On my desk is a "hat"  which I wore to our office hat party last night...

an ATC of our cat, Truffles, that Lindley at ATCs for All made for me...

(here is Truffles in her Christmas collar...)

a new book...

and a page from my prayer journal (for Word Art Wednesday and Art-Journal-Journey)...

 May we all have this hope in whatever challenges that come our way.  Happy WOYWW, everyone!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Love One Another

I've been trying to tidy up for this new year and on my desk is a binder I'm using to help me organize stuff I'm supposed to do.  I also finished the pages in my prayer journal and I'm starting on a new one!

Here is a page I made recently of one of my favorite verses, one I always try to grow in obeying.  As one of Regina Brett's Life Lessons goes "All that truly matters in the end is that you loved."

My reading for today says "Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him... perfect love casts out fear."  1 John 4:11-18  Whatever challenges I face or fear, I hope to remember this - He loves me, I have nothing to fear.

My unfinished journal for today

I also received some love from a blog friend, Jozart, who traded a lovely ATC with me and sent me a whole bunch of lace goodies. Thank you, Jo!  

Give some love as you drop by love-ly blog friends who join WOYWW, Inspire Me Monday and Word Art Wednesday!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Happy New Year!

On my desk for WOYWW today, is a set of my favorite Prismacolor pencils and my prayer journal (for Word Art Wednesday), opened to my page for the first day of 2013.  Here is my prayer for you, my dear blog friends and visitors...

Thank you for all your visits and lovely comments!  May this new year be full of blessings for you!

WOYWW: Christmas Presents!

GRATEFUL!   This word was on my mind as I celebrated my birthday on December 24 and Christmas day.  I am so grateful for blessings too many to count.

On my desk for WOYWW, the weekly show and tell link party I have joined all through out 2012, are Christmas and birthday presents that I have yet to put away.  Here is a special pop-up birthday card from my son that I thought you would enjoy...

The year is coming to a close, and next Wednesday it will already be 2013!   It's a good time to look back on this year's blessings and the challenges we have survived.  I am grateful!

My dear blog friends and visitors, may the blessings of the Christmas season be yours all through out the coming year!

Emmanuel, God With Us

Two years ago, I made this set of twenty five Artist Trading Cards for each day of December until Christmas.  It was a sort of Advent calendar based on the tradition of the Jesse tree.  Each ATC has a symbol (like Jesse tree symbols) for a bible character and story which can be read and reflected on for the day and the ATC put in it's place until the whole picture comes together on Christmas Day.

The Bible characters and stories and their symbols for each ATC, from top to bottom row, left to right,

Day 2. - God, Creation, Gen 1:1-2:3 - Tree 
Day 3. - Adam and Eve, The First Sin, Gen 2:4-3:24 - Tree with Fruit or Apple
Day 4. - Noah, The Flood, Gen 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 20-9:17 - Rainbow and dove
Day 5. - Abraham, The Promise, Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6 - Field of Stars
Day 24. - Magi, Worship, Matt 2:1-12 - Star

Day 19. - Habakkuk, Waiting, Hab 1:1-2:1, 3:16-19 - Stone Watchtower
Day 7. - Jacob, Assurance of the Promise, Gen 27:41- 28:22 - Ladder
Day 22. - Mary, The Hope for a Future, Luke 1:26-38 - Mary
Day 20. - Nehemiah, Return and Rebuilding, Neh 1:1-2:8, 6:15-16, 13:10-22 - City Wall
Day 14. - Samuel, The Beginning of the Kingdom, 1 Sam 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9 - Crown

Day 12. - Joshua, The Fall of Jericho, Josh 1:1-11, 6:1-20 - Ram's Horn Trumpet
Day 21. - John the Baptist, Repentance, Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-207:18-30 - Scallop Shell
Day 17. - Hezekiah, Faithfulness and Deliverance, 2 Kng 18:1-19:19, 32-37 - An Empty Tent
Day 25. - Jesus, Birth of the Messiah, Luke 2:1-20 - Jesus
Day 23. - Joseph, Trust, Matt 1:19-25 - Carpenter's Hammer

Day 6. - Isaac Offering of Isaac, Gen 22:1-19 - Ram
Day 9. - Moses God's Leadership, Exod 2:1-4:20 - Burning Bush
Day 8. - Joseph God's Providence, Gen 37, 39:1-50:21 - Coat
Day 18. - Jeremiah The Exile, Jer 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22-9:1-11 - Tears
Day 10. - Israelites Passover and Exodus, Exod 12:1-14:31 - Lamb

Day 1. - Introduction of the Jesse Tree, Isa 11:1-10 1 Sam 16:1-13 - Stump
Day 11. - God, Giving the Torah at Sinai, Exod 19:1-20:20 - Tablets of the Torah
Day 13. - Gideon, Unlikely Heroes, Judg 2:6-23, 6:1-6, 11-8:28 - Clay Water Pitcher
Day 16. - Elijah, The Threat of False Gods, 1 Kng 17:1-16, 18:17-46 - Stone Altar
Day 15. - David, A Shepherd for the People, 1 Sam 16:1-23-17:58, 2 Sam 5:1-5, 7:1-17 - Shepherd's Crook

We, too, have our own faith stories and are part of His story - Emmanuel, God with us.  Wishing all of you, my dear blog friends and visitors from PPF, Studio Sneak Peek, Faith Filled Friday and Inspire Me Monday, a very blessed Christmas season!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Christmas Blessings!

This last Wednesday before Christmas, I wish all of you, my dear blog friends and fellow WOYWWers,  a blessed Christmas!   

My desk is so busy and cluttered.  Is it like my mind, which is sometimes filled with all the things I still need to do before Christmas?  When I get too busy, let me remember what this illustration from my prayer journal says (sharing in Word Art Wednesday, too)...

This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ." (Frank McKibben)

A blessed and joyful Christmas!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Back to a Mess

Ribbons, tape, scissors - I've been gift wrapping!  But I've also been trading ATCs at ATCs for ALL so my desk is also filled with ATCs I'm trying to finish.  Here is one of them...

Last weekend, I printed out some copies of a Madonna and Child to sell in a charity event and this one printed out in portrait orientation on landscape paper so her halo is cropped.  Anyone interested in a cropped print?  Let me know in your comment!

And for those of you who enjoy it, here is a page from my prayer journal...

This Advent season, we can reflect on the mystery of God's love for us.  As the beautiful song Emmanuel says "What are we that you have loved us so well?"

Look up the WOYWW list and take a peek at other desks and look for more paintings at Paint Party Friday!