I begin lots of things. It’s the continuations that I’m concerned about! Three new beginnings that have become a part of my daily life are captured in the photo and poem below:
A Favorite Time of Day
Laptop tucked away
housework keeps till tomorrow.
Now is time to pray
to process joy and sorrow
line-captured while music plays
© 2017 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)
My three new 2017 beginnings:
1. Bible Art Journaling
Earlier this spring I discovered Bible art journaling. You could say it was love at first sight.
Doodling, drawing, and lettering in my special journaling Bible has become part of my routine. Several times a week, in the evening when the jobs of the day have been put to bed, I get out my Bible, pens, and supplies, tune in to one of my Spotify play lists (favourites are Audrey Assad , Fernando Ortega, and Andrew Peterson) and meditate / create.
They say that when you work in an area of strength, the activity energizes you. That’s what I find happens when I do this. The day’s fatigue falls away and I am often still going at 10:30 – 11:00—pretty good for someone who wakes up without an alarm just after 5:00 a.m. (though I do often take a daytime nap).
Here’s the project I was working on in the photo (prompted by a Rebekah R. Jones Bible Art Challenge video).
2. Taking a photo a day
My camera has been my walking companion since I got my first digital in 2006. Earlier this year I found a website (Capture Your 365 – #CY365) that provides a daily photo prompt. I’ve been snapping photos challenged by those prompts since mid-May. The photo above was prompted by the July 3rd challenge: “A Favorite Time of Day.”
3. Summer Shorts poems
On the first day of summer this year I met with a local poet friend. Among other things, we discussed summer poem-writing. I told her about American Sentences, and she decided to embark on writing “Summer Sentences.” Her decision encouraged me to work on a summer poem project that seemed like it would fit into my life—writing short poems prompted by the daily photos I take. I call my project “Summer Shorts” and the tanka above is one of those.
There you have it—three activities that I’ve not only begun but continued, and that have added much spiritual richness to my 2017!
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This post is linked to Spiritual Journey (first) Thursday, hosted today by Julieanne Harmatz at her blog To Read, To Write, To Be.
Violet Nesdoly 
This is great — little things that open up bigger things. I wish my project was going a little better though. I’m finding I dislike American Sentences although I’m enjoying my time with my daughter.
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Thanks, Laurel! That’s too bad about disliking AS’s. But who’s to say you have to stick with that form? Just write in other forms… they’re still “summer sentences”! I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones you posted, by the way. Your photos with the kids are delightful too.
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That’s true and thank you. Sentences are sentences after all. Maybe loosening it up is just the thing.
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Violet, I’ve never heard of Bible journaling. What a brilliant idea. Your art examples on the pages is inspired. Beautiful. I’m not sure I’d have the courage to deface such a sacred book, but I’ve got an old extra Bible somewhere around here and I’m going to try it because reading scripture usually has me wanting to have a dialog with the verse. Now let’s see if it will inspire my colored pencils to dance, too. Thank you for this post.
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Thanks Joy! Yes, you should try journaling in that old Bible. Because, as you so beautifully put it, “having a dialogue with the verse” is exactly what we’re talking about here… a verbal or visual interaction.
Or do art journaling activities in other places if you fear you’ll wreck your Bible. Here’s a little article on ways to do Bible art journaling activities in places other than your Bible: http://tinyurl.com/y9layflz I’m very sure you could get your coloured pencils to dance 🙂
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I love seeing the beautiful art in your Bible. And the tanka perfectly captures your favorite time of day. I love how you shared three activities begun (and continued) in 2017, activities that have added spiritual richness to your life..
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Thanks, Ramona! Whether these things look like a success or not, I’m just pleased that I stuck with them. I often start things, then find they’re too time consuming or don’t fit in with my life, or I lose interest, and they’re dropped.
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What lovely summer creations! Each one fun and as you said, rich in the reward!
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Thank you, Jan.. and for hosting us during this busy time for you. Hope the purple door looks fabulous!
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Your artwork is beautiful and inspirational. These projects feed the spirit and help you live a creative life.
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Thank you, Margaret. Yes they do.
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Violet, Spiritual Richness indeed, Violet! I love your doodling and that the activity is transformative. Great line=>They say that when you work in an area of strength, the activity energizes you.
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Thanks, Carol. It’s interesting to observe what energizes and depletes, and then use that information to live a more balanced life.
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