Hello friends,
Today I created my Sunday’s ART of Truth in my homemade disc bound journal. The link to the video for my YouTube channel is below. This was a fun page to create. I had not created in over a week after camping and grand kids visiting so it was super nice to be able to create this page.
I wanted to share some thoughts around living a brave life, but first some true confessions. I confess that often I have flowery words in my head and concepts that go along with them. Just as often, I struggle to implement those ideas and concepts into my life. I am so completely human and imperfect. In recent days, I have wrestled so deeply with my humanity.
Romans 7:15, 18b-19 – For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing”
Wow, that is a mouthful. It is so true though. I know the person I want to be. I see the behaviors I want to demonstrate. I am familiar with the passions that are a part of how God made me, but living those things out takes a great deal of risk and bravery. Hence, “Be BRAVE with your life”. Walking those things out is another matter. When I react instead of respond, the nasty self talk begins. I forget to use my healthy words. I forget that I am human. I forget that people are not going to agree with me about my feelings, opinions, perspectives or responses. This does not mean that I am wrong and they are right. It is merely, broken humans trying to be human together. My passions are not wrong. The things that matter to me, matter. They are important and valid, even if they are met with opposition.
This week, we had our 2 grand kids from up north here for the week and boy, oh boy, I had my challenges. Instead of being bold and responding to the things that were bothering me, I reacted. I got angry. I felt offended, hurt, disregarded & so very sad. I know for myself, if I am not fully living in the truth of who I am, my very best is nasty and ugly. But when I acknowledge how I feel and speak those feelings with an authentic heart, things go so much better 🙂 When this dawned on me, I was able to regroup, call these kids out for a chat. I was able to share my feelings without pushing them out onto these kids. I was able to share my hurt heart over their behaviors (and made 1 small one cry) They learned and were ‘awoken’ and I was rewarded with the quick dismissal of the lies that were spinning around in my soul.
Hearts were touched and healed. An understanding was established and everyone was happy.
I say all that to say that I believe that anytime we are transparent with our feelings and are being our truest human and authentic selves, we can heal through hard feelings and situations. We can learn and teach by being real. When we are real, we heal the broken places inside that continue to cause us to believe the lies about ourselves.
Being BRAVE with your life means…
Speaking your truth even when your voice shakes.
Sharing your heart even when no one understands.
Being true to our passions even when it feels almost deadly.
Being honest even if it means being rejected or ignored.
Being okay with people not liking you – OUCH – I like to be liked, at the expense of authenticity at times.
Being quiet when you feel like you must defend yourself. Sitting with the truth of what you know without the ‘need’ to be understood.
Being brave means not stuffing our feelings, denying our passions or exchanging our reality for someone else’s in an effort to ‘keep the peace’.
As long as we practice kindness and understanding, our truth and feelings can stand up against direct opposition.
Did you know that we don’t have to defend ourselves? Hard one for me…I most often feel like I must justify my position and my feelings. I don’t. You don’t.
I want to encourage you today as I encourage myself to be honest 1) with yourself 2) with others
Denying our emotions does not make them go away. They grow and fester and can get pretty ugly pretty fast.
My friends, there is value in practicing using our words to express the things that matter to us. With kindness. Humility, Without offense. Without defending. Without hurting others.
So, that is the lesson that I learned in a big way this week.
I hope that this encourages your. I hope that you can know that you are not alone in the struggle to be real and true to yourself.
Blessings my friends,
Beloved- Reborn
YouTube Video Link:
Products used:
Golden Fluid Acrylics – Cobalt Turquoise & Yellow Medium – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=golden+fluid+acrylic&ref=nb_sb_noss
Golden Acrylic Paint – Fluorescent Magenta – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=golden+acrylic+florescent+magenta&ref=nb_sb_noss
Liquitex Gesso, Heavy Gesso, Glazig Medium & Matte Medium
Shawn Petite Stencil – Large Rose – https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Large-Roses-stencil-p129575283#a_aid=Cara_Renee&a_bid=fb0a7347
Shawn Petite Stencil – Wing and a prayer with masks – https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Wing-and-a-prayer-with-with-masks-stencil-p54221568#a_aid=Cara_Renee&a_bid=89f1c7c5
Shawn Petite Stencil – Paris Flourish 1 – https://shop.shawnpetite.com/Paris-Flourish-1-stencil-p202091849#a_aid=Cara_Renee&a_bid=20f3052e
Rembrandt Soft Pastel – Black – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rembrandt+black+soft+pastel&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Ranger Archival Ink- Black – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ranger+archival+ink&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
General Charcoal Pencil – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=generals+charcoal+pencil&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic – Bone Black – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=liquitex+heavy+body+acrylic+paint&crid=11MKLD66NFD9E&sprefix=liquitex+heavy+bo%2Caps%2C1000&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_17
Ranger Stitch Stamp – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=stampers+anonymous+stitch+stamp&ref=nb_sb_noss
Marble Stamp – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=clear+stamp+layering+marble&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Art Alchemy Wax – Patina Blue – https://www.scrapbook.com/store/products/?w=patina+blue+wax
