Reverb 10-day 4-Wonder

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

I cultivated a sense of wonder by allowing myself this coming year to become über creative and artsy.  I am taking a certain area of my home and making it my art space.  A big DO NOT ENTER this area will be posted.  I plan to clear out the area to the bare bones to allow accommodations for my craft wizardry.  I want to install peg boards on one side to hang beading or craft stuff.  Have bins and organizers at hand, pens and pencils and paper oh my!  post-it notes and scotch tape and a stapler with staples…wowza!  Who knows what can come of my art space?!!!!

Reverb10-Day 3-Moment

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

The moment in which I felt most alive or remember in vivid detail…I was visiting my sister in the funeral home.  She was laying on the table, still in her blue hospital gown, at peace. 

I will always remember that moment.  It is a clear and vivid memory and is sad but not haunting.  The rest of the details I will keep to myself at this time.

Reverb10-Day8-Beautifully different

December 8 – Beautifully Different.

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. I SMILE on the inside:) Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.   (Author: Karen Walrond)

What makes me beautifully different?  Let’s visit each word seperately…What makes me beautiful is my endless determination to evolve and grow as a person, to love others and to move into my purpose God has for me.  My heart and my spirit makes me beautiful on the inside-where it counts.  I have a deep ability to have compassion for the less fortunate,  I have a big heart, a sharp mind and a witty sense of humor.  Being me and being chosen to be in existence is why I am beautiful, not by accident but by Gods design and purpose.  What makes me different is my perception and how I see life differently.  I see things out side of the box, I push the envelope of others perception.  I am me.  I am honest, sweet, sharp, as loving as I can be, but I can be vinegar too.  Beautifully different me: simply complex, delightfully frustrating, more comfortable with my ugly than beauty, regretfully honest, and currently in a love-hate relationship with myself.

reverb10-Day 2-writing

December 2 - Writing.
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
(Author: Leo Babauta)

I write out of feeling and experience so I don’t think there is anything that is not related to me and writing, indirectly speaking. 

Reverb10-Day 1 “Movement”

http://www.reverb10.com/
This month I’m participating in reverb10. Every day a new prompt is issued and I will write my response. The goal is to reflect on 2010 and manifest what’s next in 2011. Want to learn more? Visit www.reverb10.com.  Since I did not find the site until today December 15th, I will complete 2 per day.

December 1 - One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Movement-Jan 1st thru July 19th I had movement of the baby that was growing and development inside of me.  I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and since then I have been in “movement”…washing, rinsing, drying everything from bath, to baby and beyond. In the midst of the baby bliss my sister passed away October 5th.  She was my only sibling and she lived 450 or so miles away.  Again, movement.  Traveling, crying, arranging a funeral and traveling some more.  A month later I had weight loss surgery…action; action created a new kind of movement, physical movement. Life and it’s ups and downs created movement like healing of the mind, the body and the soul, my soul.  2010 has been swirling in movement from the time I get out of bed every morning to check in on that beautiful baby girl, to sweating every morning from the movement of my body, to movement in loving others, especially my family right now, movement in the dancing and praising that I am doing through the end of this year.

Adaptation is the 2011 word.  For all that has happened thus far.

 

Deal or no deal?

My teenage daughter and I often watch the game show Deal or No Deal.  It’s is a fairly well-known game show hosted by Howie Mandell and the object is to win the big prize of a million dollars.  A person chooses case after case hoping to get the smallest amount possible on the board which in turn makes the chances greater that they have the million dollar case in their possession. 
Of course there is a twist.  The dealer calls every so often to make a “deal” with the player.  The higher the chances of the million dollar case being in possession of the player the higher the deal.  It could be an offer of hundreds of thousands dollars.  That’s a ton of money, right? 
Every show the dealer makes an offer the player can’t refuse and so every show the player gives up their chance for actually having the million dollar case.  Every show, every time.
The offer gets good enough and the player quits or settles for what is being offered.   How often in life during our walk with God do we settle?  How often do we not go for the million?  How often do we not go with our gut instinct or go according to our spirit? How often do we settle for what is comfortable to us?
How often do we say DEAL because the deal is exciting? 
Over a lifetime of deals we lose to bigger blessing or greater opportunity.
We ask for God to enlarge our territory but we don’t ask for our vision to be enlarged also.
If we never ask, we never receive. 
How often can we not see beyond the new and shiny deals of today, deals that might be our regret tomorrow.
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond the deal. 
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond what is offered.
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond the test.
And who are you dealing with? 
Read it until you understand this message is for you.
Accept it not from me, but from your Father who equips you… 
You already have what you need to realize and to go beyond your dreams.
He has enlarged your territory beyond what you can see or feel.
Don’t settle.
Don’t give in.
Don’t take the deal.
NO Deal Howie!!!!!!

weapons formed

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Doesn’t it feel like at times that you personally are the only “someone” that the devil is looking to devour?  Doesn’t it feel like at times the world is against you?  Doesn’t it feel like you really don’t have a friend in the world? 

Lately I know these feelings all too well.  I know what it feels like to be attacked.  I know what it feels like to have emotional, physical and spiritual pain.  I know what it feels like to be betrayed.  And I know whomever you are…that you already know what it’s like.

The devil is hard at work.  People are too.  We obviously don’t make friends with the devil, but with people we do.  We love people, family and friends and well…we are suppose to.  People will hurt us or most likely already have.  We have been attacked, we have been emotionally, physically, spiritually injured, we have been betrayed…by people.  God’s people.  God’s children. 

At times of desperation we quote “No weapons formed will prosper,” and it’s a great and fitting Bible verse and it’s still a favorite of mine, but now I see it from both sides of the fence.  The verse comes to mind when we are tired of being attacked or sought out. Sought out by the devil, because he is not resting, right? he is a roaring lion searching for you. The verse also comes to mind when we are being attacked by people, people that are seeking to hurt us, people that we are commanded to love, to forgive, and…to love, to forgive, to love, to forgive…
seven times 77 million gazillion dang times.

God’s Word for you,
(and your enemy)
Isaiah 54:14-

In righteousness you shall be established; 
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; 
And from terror, for it shall not come near you. 
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. 
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. 
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith 
Who blows the coals in the fire, 
Who brings forth an instrument for his work; 
And I have created the spoiler to destroy. 
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, 
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment 
You shall condemn. 
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, 
And their righteousness is from Me,” 
Says the LORD.

No weapons formed, no words formed…

I’m rubber and you’re glue…

’cause your words that come against me…
Shall…
Not…
PROSPER!

Awesome!  Right?
YES, but…
there is always 2 sides.
Can I dig deeper or strike the hot iron, if you will….
What weapons are you forming? 
Are you a practicing blacksmith?
Are you heating the metal and getting ready to strike?
If you haven’t attacked are you getting ready to?
Is there some forgiveness that needs to take place?
Look inside. 
Look outside.
What is the reflection of yourself in others? 

Lord, Forgive us. Forgive me.

confessional:

While I was going through this process of thinking and writing I realized the reflection that I was seeing was not only of myself, but of my father.  This is where it gets deep for me.  I hated that man for many, many years.  I hated his alcoholism, his abuse and his anger.   I have that anger.  I have been forming those same weapons and using them on those I love the most, this is what he did too.  I have been using those weapons on those I would die for and will die for.  When I mean will die for…I mean I am putting to death Liz the blacksmith, and putting to death her weapons because I do not want my loved ones to carry the scars I have carried for too long. 

My prayer

‘Father, 
 hallowed be your name, 
 your kingdom come. 
 Give us each day our daily bread. 
 Forgive us our sins, 
 for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. (other blacksmiths)
 And lead us not into temptation.’ (Luke 11)
Amen.

Today is a new day.
Liz Rose 9/9/10

Love equates God equates Love

Let’s just say that God equals love. 

*If we can exchange Love for God and God for Love and they are TRULY equal and equally exchangable throughtout His word…

*If you can’t fully LOVE without a relationship with God and that you can’t fully have a relationship with God without Love (with your whole  heart)…

Then here is my thoughts and provisions on the matter:

1 Corinthians 13

Love=God

 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not GOD, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not GOD, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not GOD, I gain nothing.

GOD is patient, 
GOD is kind. 
He does not envy, 
He does not boast, 
He is not proud.

He is not rude, 
He is not self-seeking, 
He is not easily angered, 
He keeps no record of wrongs. 

GOD does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a (wo)man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and GOD.
But the greatest of these is GOD.

*Not only do I love this scripture, because it is the very scripture that reunited me to my Father, but it is equally important to recognize the second part which is where we mature.  Where I mature.  With God, With Love…I put my childish ways behind me.  With God, with Love I see myself face to face. With God, with love I am fully known.

Be Blessed with faith, with hope and ultimately with God!

Liz Rose
7/12/10

“If you could do anything today, what would you do?”

I don't do mornings!

Most often I wake up in the morning ugly. Ugly physically, mentally, spiritually…I am not a morning person. I don’t wake up full of ideas or even like to talk before 10am. This morning was different.

I asked one of my friends to call me at 5am so I could get up and exercise as part of “My List” of 5 things. He called and woke me up and instead of getting OUT of bed I layed there. He sent me a text asking me if I slept OK. Maybe he was checking to see if I went back to sleep..? Anyhow I said yes and asked him, “If you could do anything today, what would you do?” He writes back that he would stay in bed. I concur…because I hate mornings. Then I started thinking…ANYTHING? anything….well I would get into my convertible Corvette, red-of course, and drive to the beach-soak up some sun and eat seafood, yeah…thats what I’d do. Wait…even better….I would drive my convertible RED corvette to the day spa and get the “one of everything.” Ohhhh that would be worth getting out of bed for! WAIT…ANYTHING, anything..I would change a life or I would heal 20 people…NOW THAT would be worth getting out of bed for….and how would I do that? I would surely get kicked out of a hospital for going around touching and praying over people! Well, at this point I had wasted 30 mins daydreaming and decided it was time to do what I needed and intended to do. Walk.

Not very long into my walk God started to talk to me about this 20 people thing…his spirit was moving in me. I was reflecting on the man laying by the pool of healing waters..in which he never needed, and how Jesus dealt with him. Take up your mat and walk Jesus told him, I was indeed talking up my mat this morning. God let me know that I was being healed this morning. I felt his presence. I felt his LOVE. The holy spirit was so strong in me this morning that while I was walking down those sidewalks I began to cry(healing waters). I could feel the holy spirit so strong in me, I felt it in my fingers and toes…everywhere. I felt my body expand and my hair stand on end. God healed me this morning…he knows that I have been laying on my mat far too long. I could hear him saying “Baby, it will be OK.”

You don’t have to be in church to experience God. You don’t even have to touch the robe of Jesus to be healed. Sometimes you just have to pick up your mat and go and then the healing is in the process of the walk. The healing is in having faith and believing that God will…that God WILL.

The thing that is bogging you down today…whether it be physical, financial, relationship, emotional, spiritual…walk with God THROUGH it. Have faith that he WILL see you through it. He will heal you…I am trusting in Him to use me today to heal 20. I was the first…because I picked up my mat. Will you pick up yours and see what happens?

love, full known

• Love is patient, love is kind.

• It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

• It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

• Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

• It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

I am writing this because I just need to admit somethings.  I have been very unloving.  I look back to my relationships past and present and realize that IF this is truly what Love is about…I am a very unloving person.

I don’t think that how I believe is uncommon…but is it right?  I treat others how they treat me.  If they are rude, I am rude back.   I am not always patient and long-suffering.  I don’t always HOPE because I choose not to, it is indeed my choice.

I tell you, and what is even worse….is the folks that are closest to me and deep in my heart are the ones that I can me most unloving to.  WHY?  Because I know that I am most vulnerable to them.  They KNOW me, they know my weaknesses…my soft underbelly, my Achilles heel.

Has my love always hope, trusted, protected and persevered?  No.  My love has been conditional, on the condition that you do right by me, by my standards, and so I admit to my selfishness.  I forgive myself, as I forgive others.  I die to my old thinking and ways,  and I hope for better and brighter days.  A more loving me…a ME that does fight back…but only with love and tenderness.

I want to experience Love, fully known.  A love that seeks relentlessly.  Unconditional love.  Love through God because He IS love.  And as great as that, I want to give that kind of love to others…relentlessly.  I want to give that love to myself.

Come, you who are blessed by the Lord.

Genesis 24:

 Abraham had recently buried his wife and had a son that was not married, both were mourning and it was time for a change…and for the convenant to be carried out.  Abraham wanted a wife for his son that was from his native land of Canaan. Abraham sent his servant with riches back to Canaan to find a wife for his son, Isaac.   God had promised to give Abraham many offspring(I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore Gen 22:17) The servant was nervous about not finding the proper girl so he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.  See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.  May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”  Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.  The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.  The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.  After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.”  WOW!  Before the servant even finished praying….WOW. 

The favor of God was upon the servant and Abraham.  The angels were sent ahead of time so that the convenant could be fulfilled. 

The servant gave Rebekah a gold nose ring and 2 gold bracelets, and  The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.   The servant had asked for a place to sleep for the night and Rebekah took him back to her home to set up a place for him to rest.

Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring.  As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.  “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

Here is the thing that strikes me-Rebekahs brother had not met the servant, but had only heard about him and seen the gold jewelry…but YET automatically KNEW that the servant was BLESSED by the LORD. God was at work and the his favor had preceeded the servant and it makes me ponder this…what is it about me that radiates that I am blessed?  Is it gold, it is in my walk…what is it?  What makes a person know I am blessed without speaking to me directly?  Are the angels paving a way for me?  Do I have favor? 

In some people you can JUST see it.  Some people have seen it in me….the blessings, the favor.  It just makes me think how very touched I am by Gods hand…and that is very humbling.  It does not make me feel full of self, but full of God.

Both free and priceless?

There are things in this world that are both free and priceless.  It kinda seems like “free” and “priceless” would not go together but since I believe in Jesus it is just a natural thing for me to believe in and to recognise things in this world that are both truly free and truly priceless.

Best friends are free and truly priceless…and if you are broke, they might even lend you a dollar or two.
If you are sick and your bf drives across town to make you dinner…just to make sure you eat…now that is free and sooo priceless.
A childs love and adoration…free and priceless.
People watching at the mall, free and priceless….entertainment;).
Good, better or great conversation…free and priceless…just don’t do it @ Starbucks:)~.
A SMILE IS FREE AND PRICELESS…FOR EVERYONE.
Love has always been free and has always been priceless….TY God!
Jesus, redeemer….free and priceless.
Relationship w/ God….YES….Free and priceless….as U R.
As I learn to love as Jesus does…my love IS free and also priceless.

Dirt, soil for growth.

Dirt.

It’s dirty, but God has a purpose for everything, right?  We have recently heard sermons by my Pastor on a Luke 13 parable that deals with the tree not flourishing and bearing fruit and how the man asked to give it one more year and he would fertilize the tree and help it to grow, to spare the trees life from being cut down.   Fertilizer can loosely be translated to animal waste.  There was concern of the tree just using up the space…or wasting the soil as it refers to.  The soil or dirt was obviously not dirty enough. 

I have memories of being a little girl and my Grandma Rose asking me to carry the ‘can’ to the compost pile.  The ‘can’ was a metal bowl full of rotten stuff…literally.  Rotten potatoes, peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds and it stank!!!  I would carry the ‘can’ as far in front of me as possible to the back of the yard, about ½ acre in distance.  All the while hoping and praying none of the rotten yuk would splash on me.   I would dump in on the equally stanky pile and walk back to the house.  Every so often my Grandma would turn the dirt over the rotten yuk and it would make this rich soil that would help her garden to flourish.  She grew everything; flowers, fruit, vegetable, herbs, plants, and cactus.  Her garden produced perfect fruit. 

The point is sometimes we need the dirt or fertilizer to grow, to bear fruit, to go to the next level, to transcend our current circumstances.    Maybe it was Jesus’ way of saying Poo happens…use it to grow. 

If you are totally feeling “fertilized” I recommend listening to Dirt by Mary Mary or just read the lyrics… and grow!

“God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt!”

Funny thing about a garden
Beauty lives within its gates
Bugs and thorns and weeds, they grow there
But they all help to create
Vivid color variations
Sweet aromas and sensations
Realize under it all, something not so beautiful
But we all …

[Chorus:]
Need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little bit of dirt to grow
We need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little rain to wash our souls
We need a little bit
(I) need a little dirt to grow.

Life at times can make you weak.
And I have cried myself to sleep
Cause reality makes you cry
But the truth will dry your eyes
Things they just can’t stay the same
When you work hard and you pray
Yeah it may be kind of rough now
But the point I’m trying to make is that we

[Chorus:]
We all need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little bit of dirt to grow
We need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little rain to wash our souls
We need a little bit
(I) need a little dirt to grow.

Oh sometimes you may sing for yourself
You struggle hard just to prevail
its the lesson you need to learn
its the way you’ve got to earn
Champions never accept defeat
They fall and get back on their feet
Cause they know (they know)
Like I know (I know)
That if you want to grow we…

[Chorus:]
We all need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little bit of dirt to grow
We need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little rain to wash our souls
We need a little bit
(I) need a little dirt to grow.

We all need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little bit of dirt to grow
We need a little bit
(I) Need a little bit
Need a little rain to wash our souls
We need a little bit
(I) need a little dirt to grow.

Need a little dirt to grow
(It will make you better)
Need a little dirt to grow
(It will make you stronger)
Need a little dirt to grow
(Oh we need it, ah)
Need a little dirt to grow
Yeah

Parable Luke 13:

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

    ⁸ ” ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ “

sweet spot

In all my life I have done everything wrong
DEAD wrong 
I am not ok where I am at
and I am not ok with being JUST OK
only the mediocre are living their best always
My mind, body and spirit are restless
often times I do not sleep
I lie in bed at night and think “God…what, why and when?!”
What am I doing? What do I need to be doing?
What is my mission…
other than to help and to love his people?
I speak to God and he speaks to me, through me
This is MY mission to help and to love other people
Romans 12 guides me
This is my “What, why and when.”
This is my purpose, my design, my heart
and without it I am just another empty person searching
in the wilderness
experiencing the storms
without the joy, without the balance
without experiencing the sweet spot
God designed just for me

Thank you to the person that has inspired me to live life in my purpose daily, to look for that “sweet spot” that God has designed just for me.  Living a life that follows God is anything but boring, it is the ultimate adventure.

God bless and live life purposefully!

Romans:12 ⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Actions and reactions

James 1

^2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

All too recently in my life I have experienced a lot of pressure and problems. I have had difficulties with those closest to me…I mean it has been coming at me from all sides.  It is interesting to me that people, not JUST these people, but people in general will act how they want and then gauge how you act according to your faith. It seems to be a game…push button, push button…push button…no reaction…push button-DING, DING, WINNER! While you are surprised at their persistent button pushing, they are surprised that you have the ability to react harshly. Oh please…I am human and I make mistakes, say hurtful things, yell when I have had enough. I am far from perfect, but I must add that I am better than before, better than ever, and growing every day.

I was perusing the scripture website today and came across this scripture(above). Every time my Christianity gets thrown back at me I feel double-crossed, first for the button pushing and then for the “Oh, YOU of all people should be better than that”….you feel me, right? So anyhow since I am a child and God knows I need to be shown the light…along comes this spiritual food “tests and challenges are a gift” and I have been very “gifted” lately, ALSO it also says to be patient and God will use your patience to mature and develop you. What I understand now is that the double-crossing I experience or feel is to help me grow, mature and not be deficient in my ways. It is on purpose and I feel in a better place now, that I can excuse some of the actions and reactions of others and know that they are doing their part and I need to do mine, and that is live according to his will for me…to act and react accordingly.

 Blessings,

Liz Rose

Beauty for ashes

I’m so lost
So lost
in His
Love
that He is all I see.

For He is ALL I see
For He is the Great I AM
and I am
simply
His.

Have you ever been so
very in love with God
that you see with distorted vision?

The street walkers
and the ish talkers
display His grace
the triflin’ ho’s
and the dime-a-dozen bro’s
and the lowest of the low…
the
CEO’s
radiate His detail
His intricacies
His zest for… HIS

My vision is
so distorted
—or real—
that the homeless,
the poor,
the imprisoned
have the most.
His bounty, His harvest,
tangible favor.

In my eyes
the crooked are straight and
the wide is narrow
and the meek isn’t who we think
and what is “us”
really isn’t us at all

What I am
is His
What I am
is yours
I owe you that much
—or little—
because what I was
was a distorted piece of hot mess
because I was under self
OPPRESSION
because I was
REPRESSION,
DEPRESSION
and
OBSESSION

I was the lowest of the low…
I was Liz Rose, CEO
Owner of self-destruction
self-instruction and
self-reduction

Now I am-
Yours, his and hers,
and most of all His,
the great I AM,
father of me
the not-so-great I was…

because after all,
after my downfall,
I mean really after all
came
beauty for ashes.

Reverb10-Day 6-Make

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

The last thing I made was a piece of jewelry.  I made it out of antique bronze butterflies, pink quartz and antique bronze beads, jewelers’ wire, and a pretty toggle clasp. I love to make jewelry.  I often think about putting up a site on Etsy.com to sell some of my goods, but it is hard for me to put a price on my time in addition to materials.  Usually I just give my jewelry away to friends and family. 
I do have a few current pieces I am working on like a couple pairs of earrings…and ideas for more pieces.