An unfinished masterpiece

No, my God's not done
Making me a masterpiece
He's still working on me

He started something good
And I'm gonna believe it
He started something good
And He's gonna complete it
So I'll celebrate the truth
His work in me ain't through
I'm just unfinished

- Mandisa "Unfinished" 

Ever done one of those wine and design classes? My husband and I actually did one to celebrate Valentine's Day this year and created two canvases that together created one picture. I had done a few of these sorts of events in the past and there are a few things that all the facilitators say each time. When I heard the lyrics to this song this morning, I was reminded of their guidance in creating a good looking painting (a "masterpiece" if you will) and thought I'd share as an encouragement to you. 

Before we started

1. "Your final product doesn't need to look like mine. It's meant to be a guide and I can help you along the way." 

Now if you think of yourself as the painter in this scenario, you have a guide! The guide is there with a lot of solutions to the problems you encounter and ready to help as soon as you ask. You need more paint - she's on it! You need to change the darkness of the sky - she's ready to help you mix the perfect hue! You need only ask.

making progress on the two canvas picture

 2. "The best thing about this paint on the canvas is that you can correct and make changes as soon as the paint dries. A canvas is very forgiving"  

This is very important since people who attend these events are usually not skilled artisans and they've paid for an evening where they want to create something of beauty. Think of yourself as the painting in this scenario. There aren't really mistakes in the traditional sense. Each time a brush stroke went where the painter didn't want it - a little patience and the blemish is turned into a thing of beauty. There wasn't just one way to get to the final product. The painters (in this case, my husband and I) could add some layers of paint and it actually enhanced the overall product.

Proud of our Valentine's Day masterpiece

 3. "Sometimes you need to step back and look at the whole thing in order to know what to do next."  

What wise life lessons learned in a painting class! Reflecting on what's been done teaches us what to do next. If I focus too much on the tree branch being straight, it may end up looking more like a log because I didn't take time to step back and see what impact those small strokes had to the entire picture. And in the case of a two canvas painting - we really needed this reflection in order to help the painting flow together (there's a marriage lesson in that I'm sure!). 

How much more exciting is it to think of ourselves as unfinished masterpieces of the creator of the world! We are unfinished on our journey in this earth and for that I am glad!

What a difference a year makes

True to form, as one year ends and another begins I want to reflect. It happens this time every year because I also have a birthday in December and as I literally get a year older as the year ends, I can't help but want to stop and think about all that has happened. So here it goes...

Last year on New Year's Eve, I was in Atlanta with my good friend Sarah Brookings, who lives there. We decided to go to a nice dinner downtown to ring in the new year and then watched Lord of the Rings on New Years Day in our PJs. It was a quiet and sweet way to start a new year. Then I went to Passion 2013 and things got much louder.

It was there that I started a new journal. I have journaled throughout my years as a adolescent and into adulthood, but as I've gotten older I've lost the consistent habit. But since I was attending a conference full of teaching, I thought it might be good to bring something along. I love the idea of journaling so, I of course, had a blank one at home I could bring along.

I highly recommend journaling, especially when it's cute like this one.

The first thing I wrote in this new Bible was part of a prayer from Louie Giglio who kicked off the conference and it was the most profound thing that impacted me from the entire Passion 2013.

"Lord do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine. Give me eyes to see the immeasurably more."

Immeasurably more is how I'll try to remember 2013. My 29th year of life. It was a great year. One full of new experiences, personal growth, challenges, inspiration, calling, affirmation, and depth. Those are such great words!

The first couple months were good growth while I completed a devotion called Fall for Him about singleness. I treasured the lessons learned and the prayers I prayed during those 25 challenges. I commend it to any of my single girlfriends as it was written by a woman who didn't marry until she was in her 30s so her stories resounded with truth and much empathy.

I also had several meaningful new experiences:

• I attended the Justice Conference and toured Philadelphia in February.
• I had a fun-filled girls weekend in Asheville in March. We spent the afternoon at a natural hot spring.
• I got to visit Ohio several times to see my nephew grow in his first year. 
• I went to a retreat center alone and sang out loud in the woods in June. 
• I attended a work conference in Boston in July and created an epic road trip through Colorado in July.
• I had another girls weekend in Asheville in October and went to Grove Park Inn for the first time.

The last part of 2013 and my 29th year was full of fruit and faithfulness.

• I met my boyfriend Daniel in August and have fallen in love. 
• I successfully ran a conference as President Elect of my state career counselor's association. 
• I was invited to be an elder in my church with a community I love serving. 
• I got a promotion in my job in December with a boss who seeks to develop me well. 

So now I'm able to implement so many of the heart lessons I've learned about "the me I want to be" (in the words of John Ortberg) in leadership, justice, relationships, and love. I used to always refer to the year I turned 23 as the best year of my life because I was working with Campus Crusade, traveling and feeling affirmed in what God called me to do, but I think 2013 has taken it's place as the best year...so far...

I can't wait to see what God has in store for 2014!