Category: Play

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Art Journaling

I had a good day today. I did relax–I worked for a couple of hours in my art journal, which is creative, intuitive, spiritual and sometimes prophetic. The pages soothe my mind and soul when I cannot be outside, and today, though the weather was pretty enough, I felt I needed to just stay put at home. That decision meant I could also do some necessary mundane chores like laundry, and I was also available here if Pete needed me as he began to slowly make sense of the I-have-no-idea-where-anything-is that was his frame shop at the Nags Head gallery. The banner accomplishment for him today was to hook up the computerized mat cutter and determine that it handled the move admirably and is cutting nice straight sharp lines, as a mat cutter should. I know he is relieved about that. Then we sat in our swing for about an hour in late afternoon, just a-swinging. Really a perfect day.

I am always amazed when I sit down with my art journal and just let myself respond to whatever catches my interest. I thumbed back through pages I had collaged over the past couple of years. I tend to combine imagery and words in these pages. Sometimes I know exactly what I mean when I create them, and sometimes I have no idea why THIS should go with THAT. But later, the pattern I chose seemingly at random makes more sense. One thing I spotted on a page today was a pendant with an uplifting word. We wound up ordering something very similar from an American artist when we went to Philadelphia last February! I did not consciously recall putting that image on one of my pages, but it was there to remind me to pay attention to everything that tugs at my attention, however lightly. Whispers can mean as much as shouts, sometimes even more.

You are learning to listen to the Still Small Voice. Sometimes that Voice is My Own Voice, wooing you. And sometimes the voice you hear is your own. You have tended to devalue that voice, many times. But I find it precious. I Am glad you are beginning to listen to yourself and count your own thoughts and words as valid.

Lord, that reminds me. I had another sudden insight several days ago. I was thinking about how we humans do like to rank order. We put ourselves first, or last, or somewhere in the middle. And as I was thinking, I saw in my mind’s eye a vertical line, just a straight line, as if it were made up of humans, as if humanity were arranged in some sort of ladder-fashion. Who would be at the top and bottom? Where would each person fit in? We tend to think in all those terms. But then suddenly I saw instead a horizontal line, as if all of humanity were strung out like that old Cola commercial, holding hands, standing shoulder to shoulder. No rank-ordering. Every single person as important as the next, but each one an individual. And in that instant I realized, that is how You see us. All of us. Each of us and all of us and all at once. Not rank-ordered, but as individuals, and yet essentially a part of the whole, as You said the other day. No missing pieces. It was beautiful, actually, what I saw. 

More and more you are seeing the world as I see it and as it views itself. Which is reality, you wonder. The paradox is, both offer views of humanity that are realistic. Yet only My View is sustainable. The usual world’s view of itself is doomed to failure, sooner or later, because it is not based in Love. Any view not based in Love will eventually lead to an absence of all the other virtues, like Peace or Goodness or Kindness or Justice or Faith. You have the ability to hold both views at once, and to work and pray to help the view I see become truer and truer in your experience of reality. That is really all you can do, and it is hard work at times. But for all those who wish to work for Peace and Love and Justice, holding My View of the world is essential. So the next time you are tempted to become impatient in line, or while on the road driving, remember how I see all of you. No one of you is more important–or less important–in My Eyes. Each of you is fully and completely Loved by Me. That does not mean I Love or Approve of everyone’s individual actions. Far from it! Love demands an honest scrutiny of motive and means, and humanity falls far short of Love most of the time. You see, it is My Love that sustains the Universe. Never mind some don’t accept that reality; that is the truth.

That reminds me suddenly of some old joke, God, or something. How did it go?

What you are trying to remember is this. All humans may not believe in Me, but I believe in all humans. And that is humanity’s grace and your hope.

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3:30

After a decent night’s sleep, I woke up thinking about the period, a couple years back, when I suddenly seemed unable to wear a watch. Any watch. No matter what watch I put on, it would stop running. Take it off, lay it on the nightstand, and it would start again; put it back on, and it would stop. I met folks with similar experiences and we chalked it all up to something in our bodies’ electrical systems, or our salt balances, something. There had to be some explanation. Privately I thought maybe it was You trying to get my attention, to slow down maybe, or to give more heed to how I spent my hours. Whatever the cause or message, I finally found a watch I could wear and it kept time perfectly for at least 18 months. Until it didn’t. That very morning, the morning I woke up remembering how I stopped time, I reached for my watch after getting dressed to find it had quit running in the night! What sort of coincidence–or foreknowing–is that? To make the whole situation more interesting, my watch stopped at 3:30. It is a beautiful analog watch, so it doesn’t indicate a.m. or p.m. There it was, standing still at 3:30–which for my entire school life, from 1st through 12th grade, was the end of my school day. That time, 3:30, has always signaled school’s out, and a corresponding feeling of freedom. For 11 of those 12 years, 3:30 meant I could come out of my daily uniform (seniors were exempt) and get into “play clothes.” In earlier years, the day transitioned at 3:30 into a snack and play-time; in later years of course, there was homework to be done, and perhaps after school responsibilities and activities. Now, one of the shops I own has weekday shifts that change at 3:30 pm, as one set of folks ends their opening shift, and another begins what will be the closing shift. I stopped today and got a new battery and my watch is keeping perfect time again. But I just have to ask You–was this a coincidence? Or is there some larger message here, as I suspect?

For a brief period you had a chance to live as I live, Timeless. So much of your life is bound by time and ruled by time rather than by the events themselves.

God, I am suddenly remembering–we have talked about this before–taking a trip on a sailboat in the fall of 1982, and the captain took my watch when I climbed aboard. For this week, he said, you will drink when you are thirsty, eat when you are hungry, and sleep when you are sleepy. I was almost panicky at first. Of course there were no cell phones, so work could not reach me, and in fact, my employer at the time had already recognized my tendencies toward overwork and my need for a break. 

And here we are. Again. Looking together at your tendency toward overwork and your need for a break. How was your playdate?

What playdate? The one You invited me to? Well…I don’t know where it went. I mean, I worked past the end of my shift, for one thing. I didn’t stop at 3:30! So all of a sudden when I did leave, I had stops to make, and it was a hustle just getting them done before I got home for dinner. As it was, I didn’t make the bank, so that had to be put off until today. After dinner I did play my guitar for a bit, not long, but that felt wonderful.

Why did you stop?

I had bills to pay, checks to write. As it was, that took the rest of the evening. I quit about 11:40. I wasn’t finished but I was oh-so-done. And tired. I was tired. I am tired. 

So now you have a couple of days in which you have a choice. You can always find ways to fill your timecard with chores. The chores will always be present. You have to decide whether you are worthy, as an adult, as a responsible, diligent adult, of downtime. Of rest and recreation and play. I Am not going to force it on you, and I Am not going to cause illness if you don’t. But understand this. Your body was never meant to run at a gallop, day after day after day, without resting. Neither was your mind and neither was your heart. Something will eventually give, not as punishment, not because I caused it, but because you are wearing yourself out prematurely. Your battery inevitably runs down. You can prolong its life, you can prolong your life, and the quality of your life, by paying attention to some essentials. Play is an essential you tend to neglect. So why don’t you take another look at your weekend, and truly make it a weekend? Think back to your childhood glee at 3:30, or better yet, at the last day of school, and let’s try to rekindle some of that excitement in your very adult life.

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Play Date

I didn ‘t blog at all last night. I closed, got home at 10, changed, ate a full dinner probably about 10:15 or 10:20 and was in bed shortly after 11. I just couldn’t do it. So what would You say about that? My idea was to try to upload something short, simple, this morning. But. But it is almost 8:30 and I need to leave in 45 minutes. And shower and dress and eat and…well. You get the idea. I open today. So. Can You talk to me quickski?

What you need to know quickski is I love you, I see you, I hear you, I’m with you and I Am so proud of you. Isn’t that what children really need from their parents?

Let Me be Father-God to you today. You are working hard. Let’s fold in a little play-date today, you and Me. How about it? See, you are smiling. That’s better. Now take My Hand and let’s see what sorts of adventures we can have in the midst of your busy workday, shall we?

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Barren vs. Bountiful

Lord, I know we just talked about sailing. About sending out dispatches. Today I am seeing this vast field, a field of abundance, of plenty. And part of the plenty is Joy, and part of the Joy is in knowing there is plenty, knowing there is abundance, knowing there is more than enough for everyone. I am at the edge of this incredible field, and I am laughing, because it stretches beyond the horizon. There is so much, so much, and I step in, one tiny person in the midst of Huge, and I am giddy with the impact of the scale of the vastness. I can’t mess it up or ruin it. I can enjoy it and invite everyone–everyone–in. We can all spread out; we won’t crowd each other here. This is a place of provision, of joy, and of delight. I wander nomadic and find within this field groves filled with fruit. Sunny glades. Peaks of piercing beauty. This is like heaven, a feast for each sense. Lord, thank You for this field. Is FIELD an acronym? Something You want to tell me? I can’t figure out the D. What are some good, great D words? Like Decide. Or Devotion. Or Delight, as I just said. L can be Live or Love or Learn or Light. Luminous. Land. D for Day, too. For F I thought of Find. Could be Follow. Could be Faith. Whatever it means, I can still see it, still feel it. F is for Feelings, too. Everyone I have ever loved is here. And “here” they are whole, hence happy. Complete. There is no striving or straining. I can see this exists; is this only afterlife? Is this only a place whose door is death, into this life? I see barrenness now. Is that like our earthly life?

Barrenness is life for so many. They try to scratch out an existence in a void, in a vacuum. The field is a metaphor for what I intended life to be–a continuum, life here on earth in union with Me into what you call afterlife, in union with Me. I never pictured or created or intended the barrenness. I am Creator, not destroyer. I am Finisher, too. When people are living in Barrenness, they haven’t come far enough forward.

Think of the Creation Story differently. Think of it as a metaphor for your awareness, physically and spiritually, with increasing understanding, resources and companionship. There is always an adding-to, a building-on. Think of your life this way. What Day are you in now? The Sixth Day–you see yourself as toiling, as having to toil. It is all here, everything you need, but you think you have to toil for it. That creates barrenness in your thinking and in your heart. Move into the Seventh Day–rest. The day when you enjoy, where your life flows, where it runs like clockwork, smoothly, oiled by My Spirit. Trust My Oversight. You can play in the field. You think you have to bring in great lights and work all night. I mean you to have fun, joy, delight.

FIELD is a place of Fun. Inspiration. Enjoyment–and Enlightenment. Laughter–and Love. Delight. That’s the FIELD. Your tractor–the camera, say–is to help you explore with ease, not exploit, not even engineer. My Field doesn’t need engineering. Just exploring and enjoying. I say again, let Me surprise you. I have  waited, in human terms, a long time for those who will allow Me to delight them daily, to share My bountiful world, to play with Me. I am inviting you to be that someone, one of those someones who can model this lifestyle of freedom from fear, from worry, and from anxiety. Freedom to play and revel and run and laugh. Let your body be covered in butterflies. Frolic. The Field is a place of frolic. Even your rest will be energized, alert and attuned, so there is no more fatigue. I want you to be more than sustained. I want you thriving.

Speaking of bulletins, you get bulletins every day from Barrenness. Pay them no mind; they are in a foreign language. Allow yourself to lose the ability to translate or to understand. Speak in tongues, literally and metaphorically, and learn the new language whose underlying structure is laughter. Live it here. Live it now. You don’t have to wait. You don’t have to be in Ocracoke, or in Florida. You don’t have to be out west. Call it in. Approach everyone and everything with love, and you are filled with love. My Love does not run out, or dwindle, or dissipate, or dim. It increases. The taller you get, the bigger the Field is. You will never outgrow it. Revel and roll like a young child. This is your world. This is your every day, your “this day,” your today. Your now, Now. NOW.

Now? Wow. You have said these sorts of words to me before, Lord. I recognize pieces and parts from years back, even. And I think I hear You, and then I forget. I slip back. I’m sorry.

Just keep your ear, your eyes, and your heart open. I will never stop calling to you, and if you let Me, I will never stop calling through you.

Ok, Lord. Ok. 

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More on play

So I had all good intentions of playing today. I did. I even planned it out, what, when…but I couldn’t. This came up, that came up, the other came up, all important and all time-sensitive. There was no way to do what I planned. Eventually when I got back to the house I did “play” — I played my guitar, which I haven’t done lately, just for a few minutes. Does that count?

Dogs who have been rescued often have to be taught how to play. You have learned trust, and you have excelled at obedience. You have become very affectionate. You overflow with gratitude, and you are a vigilant watchdog, looking out for those around you, keeping an alert eye on your family, on your friends, on your business. Now we need to work on this aspect of performance versus playtime. You would gladly chase after a ball and bring it right back if you thought it served some purpose. You aim to please. I Am trying to help you see that pleasing yourself is not the opposite of pleasing Me or pleasing those you love. Doing something for the pure joy of it, the fun of it, is what we are after here.

Gosh, God, who knew play would be so hard?

I know. That is why I gave you the assignment. You are diligent with assignments. Remember Julia Cameron’s assigned play?

Yes, well, those tended to be the exercises I did not complete!

So now it is time. Play-time.

You are going to have to show me how, God. Or maybe I should say, what and when. I had a how today–but the what and the when never worked out.

What about tonight?

My chores aren’t done. OH! OH! My Chores Aren’t Done! Isn’t that when kids get to play, when their chores are done? Right? My chores aren’t done. Seriously, not done. And I can work up till midnight and they still won’t be done. And by tomorrow there will be more of them…not done. Not all done. They are never all done.

So you never can play?

Well…this runs counter to everything I…allow. The word I want is allow.

You weren’t forbidden to play as a child.

No, no I wasn’t. So WHERE and WHEN did all that start? Yes, performance in school is a big part of all this. But as a little kid I played. I even had an imagination. I climbed trees. I pretended all sorts of things.

By yourself.

Well, yeah, sure. Always by myself. I played race with our goat. I remember that. Back and forth, up and down the fence line. It was fun. 

Name something fun in high school.

Fun? Reading, I guess. I loved to read. I began playing guitar in high school. I met You!

But meeting Me then, what you were taught then, was it FUN?

No, I wouldn’t say that. It was serious. Life got serious. Is that the root, Lord?

(Almost a whisper) Little One, look back. What were you told?

Eventually I learned that anything frivolous, anything, oh goodness, anything fun, was wrong. I mean, reading the Bible was okay, and Christian doctrine, okay, but anything else, not okay. So no more reading for pleasure. No more music on the radio. No tv. I guess the guilt of even wanting to do something other than study or work took over. Anything else, beauty for its own sake, all of that, anything for pleasure, I was told to avoid. 

Or else.

Yes, or else.

And what do you think now?

I think it was a lie. I think whatever the motive may have been, I wasn’t told the truth, about You, about Your world, about the joy You intend for all of us. I remember thinking at some point that Puritanical and tyrannical rhymed for a reason!

You see, you have recovered much from those years. But sometimes, a situation occurs, as now, and unearths more that needs to be healed. Just as with a rescue dog, sometimes the memory comes back, and the behavior reverts. That is where you are now.

You said that to me once before–sometimes the memory comes back. And then You said You wanted to heal those earlier times.

I still do. So don’t put more pressure on yourself about “play.” I have come to talk to you about play so you can be even more free, not more bound. Just let Me lead you and we will walk into greater freedom together.

And maybe skip? I used to skip!

Maybe I should call you Skippy–for the fun of it!

Lord, Your Love, it blows me away. You are so diligent, to bring out the best of us, all of us. 

That is what a good parent does. So when I say to you, run along and play now, give it a little consideration, okay?

Okay.

 

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The Practice of Play

What a day–lots of life lessons today. I headed to the beach for my “play date with God” and went first to the section of beach I know best, I guess, across from the old gallery location. What got my attention there was how many rocks there were, some good sized ones too. It made me remember how much I used to love to collect rocks as a kid, how the teachers let me and Greg W. out of playing on the playground so we could hunt through the river rock beds beside the building for fossils. There were a lot of people there, though, so I left and wound up walking the beach all the way down at ramp 23 south of Salvo. What I realized first was how uncomfortable I was with the thought of playing — I mean, how do I play? I have learned a bit about relaxing, but play seems different. I didn’t know how, or what to do different. I looked for dolphin–they seem like playful critters–but there weren’t any. I looked for rocks but this beach was more typical with shell fragments. I did find some heart-shaped ones but that didn’t seem different than my usual beach walks. I remembered skipping rocks with my Dad as a kid, so I tossed a couple–one rock, one shell fragment–and they skipped in the wave wash, and I laughed. But I have done that before and it didn’t seem to qualify as a big time play date.

Then walking back I decided to investigate this pile of…something…I’d spotted walking down. Turned out to be a large cache of broken whelks. Earlier I’d said, I think I am broken inside, I don’t even know how to play! And here were all these rejected, discarded, not-perfect, broken whelk shells. At first, I thought how beautiful they would have been if only they were whole. Then I started thinking how beautiful they were, period. I began to wonder if any of them would have a heart shape in the broken place, like the one my friend Toni found on her play-day earlier this week, and gave to me. Somehow in digging through that pile of whelks, and unearthing the buried ones, something switched, or clicked, on or off, I don’t know which. It was fun. It was like a treasure hunt. And I did find hearts, lots of hearts! And I could feel You there. Once You said something about looking inside, and right after that, there was the shape of a heart in the pattern inside the swirl of the whelk shell. So thank You for today. It really was fun. And I think I learned a life lesson, at least I hope I did, about brokenness, about the way You see us. You see the beauty, You see inside, You see potential. Right?

Here is what will be hard for you to understand, in your duality of thinking. You think and see, broken OR whole. Broken VS whole. Perfect VS flawed. But here is what I see: Beauty IN Brokenness. Wholeness IN Brokenness. You keep waiting to reach some state of being, some ability or achievement, where you can finally decide, now I am whole, now I am beautiful, now I am worthy. Sweet little one, you are already whole, already beautiful, already worthy in My eyes, for My eyes see only through Love. And when Love beholds the Beloved, Love sees only Love — Love reflected, Love transforming, Love renewed, Love reciprocated. Love and only Love. So I don’t see you beautiful IN SPITE OF, which is how you would tend to think. I see you beautiful. What you see as flaws, or broken places, I see as soul topography. Imagine a totally flat, featureless landscape. Now imagine the kind of landscape you love most, with some elevation, some texture, maybe some rolling hills, maybe some rolling waves, and always some bird or critter inhabiting. Which is boring? Which is exciting? Which has more possibility? Imagine a blank canvas. Imagine a blank page. These have possibility only if they allow transformation! Only if they welcome change! If the canvas or the page had the ability to choose stagnation and sameness, what gift could they give the world? It is only in their willingness to no longer be blank, but to be transformed, over-written, with great globs of paint, that they have the possibility of intense, immense beauty or soft subtle beauty or persistent steady solid beauty. You see?

I think so. So my broken places…

Like the lyric says–are where the light gets in.

OH! Oh, right. One more question–when You said the other day a better translation of perfect would be whole, doesn’t that mean whole shells are better than broken ones? Right?

If the whelk Toni gave you, and the whelks you found today, had never been broken, they would not have hearts to share, now would they?

So we need to be broken? That sounds…scary.

Broken is such a negative word in your cultural vocabulary. Again, think of paper, think of canvas. Think topography. If a whelk shell fulfilled its many life purposes, being completely whirled at one phase, and then tumbled and in pieces in another phase, but the pieces themselves became gifts from the sea, and the remaining whelk shell became another gift from the sea, doesn’t this become a story about GiveAway? Can’t the shell give-away of itself? You do, all the time.

Think of the Bread, broken. The Cup, shared. Think of the Loaves and Fishes–Multiplied. If you can be willing to play, to admit into your landscape of responsibility some texture, some topography, of playfulness, you will multiply your ability to make a difference, multiply your gifts. But you have to be willing to change, to let the practice of playfulness transform you. I must tell you, you will not be the same. But I would never call you into territory that I did not intend as blessing for you.

Gosh, it’s different than what I expected. The Practice of Playfulness? 

Healthy children play every day. Did you think this was to be a one-time event?

I didn’t think past today, honestly. Playfulness every day? 

It doesn’t have to be long. Don’t make this into some new commitment you have to calendar and schedule and check off your to-do list–that defies the whole idea of play.

God, I think You are going to have to teach me how this can work. Ha, “can work!” See? I really need You for this. But yes, as I told You before, I am willing to try.

 

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Playtime

Lord, a friend of mine who is visiting the beach posted something extraordinary today, extraordinary in its simplicity, its innocence, and its honesty. She said she asked You to play with her today, at the beach. Now why didn’t I think of that?!? Why hasn’t the whole world thought of that? What parent doesn’t play with his or her kids? Even animals teach their young by playing! And yet I never, not once, thought of asking You to play with me. I’m sorry, God — it never occurred to me, and it never occurred to me that You would want to.

Remember just yesterday I said My challenge is to approach each of you on your own terms, in ways that you can receive from Me best? For all you have grown, and all your stretching into new realms of experience of My Love and My Presence, still you tend to be very serious, extremely so at times. You take life seriously! Life is serious business! You love to laugh, you love to make others laugh in an easy, gentle way…but your over-arching view of life is serious, even somber, not playful. You take responsibility seriously, you take your relationships seriously, you take your work seriously, and you take your time with Me seriously. This is part of why recess was hard for you as a child. This is why you struggle with all those creative exercises in your favorite books that ask you to dream a little, play a little, exercise some frivolous imagination. It is why, despite loving it, you abandoned most good fiction as somehow unfit for the limited reading time you have. Instead, you try to read books that are scholarly in some sense, designed to teach you something, increase your knowledge or skill or performance. Little One, you do very little for the pure fun of it. Your quest to find and make meaning has led you to profound insight at times, yet you have forgotten what little you once knew about playtime.

Here is a proposal for you. Why don’t you think about what playing with Me would be like for you? Why don’t you try to imagine a scenario in which pure, holy play was not only allowed, but encouraged? Why don’t you imagine, just for a minute, opening a serious-looking engraved invitation, in which I, the God of the Universe, invite you, the Serious Scholarly Sage, to come out and play? Can you do that? Will you do that? I tell you the truth: your best imagery thus far happened when you were closest to My playful heart. My heart that delights to delight you. So let Me ask you one more time: can Eve come out and play?

Gosh, God, honestly, I don’t know. But I am willing to try. If it is okay with You, I think I would like to try Easter Sunday.

It’s a play-date, then. And there is no better day–you’ll see!

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Hope Healer

I have a sudden thought, to draw a Peace Shield.

 The center spiral is a question mark. Around and around, as a question. Sunrise over sea in the east, moonrise over mountains in the west. The passing of time.

 In the south is a Horse, with a blue lightning design painted on its side. There is an Elk, just standing watch, in the north.

The Horse is running, running between the sun and the moon. Isn’t that the truth! The Elk is standing. So the Horse is running in the South. It’s how I feel, like I have to hurry, to hustle, to figure out the spiral path, to answer the question, to get “it” all done, to get from A to B…and the Elk stands. It is a snapshot of how I feel. Oddly, I am now very relaxed. Running Horse could also be play, could be playful. Not frantic—having fun. I would like to shift to that possibility. Lord, what does the Blue Lightning mean? That would be a lot of paint, blue lightning. A lot of rocks would have to GiveAway to make that much blue paint. The Horse would have to stand still to be painted thus. And then it could run like the wind!

So a Horse can bolt, spooked. Or race. Or run because it can, because it wants to. I’ve done the first two. Is this a 3rd way? The question being, not where are you running, but why? With what heart? To what purpose?

 Lightning is swift and symbolizes power to me. Oh. The blue, that color blue, represents healing.

You are a Healer, Eve. But you are a spirit-healer, rather than a body healer. By all means, pray for bodies to recover. But even more than that, pray for spirits and souls and hearts to be healed. This means grief. This means loss—loss of hope, loss of purpose, loss of vision. This means answers to questions that swirl in the mind, causing unrest. Your wisdom does come from a Higher Source, from Me—represented by the Elk in the north. But it runs strongly through your daily, empowered and inspired by My Holy Spirit. Blue is also the color of peace, of calm, of serenity. These are soul words, spirit words. I am rekindling in you the Gift of Healing for spirits and souls and hearts. Let others lay hands on bodies—that is others’ work. You are a DreamGiver—you are a HopeHealer—you run in joyous play, full of life and vigor. Peace can empower too. Peace can open a door of strength and purpose. A country at true peace can prosper. A family at peace can build. Blue is also the color of Prosperity. It is a color of extravagance, of living larger, of living luxuriously. Azure—the wide open sky. From Carolina Blue to Big Sky Country, so shall your reach be. I am giving you the west. I am giving you the north and the south. You will move in all four directions with ease.

When you talk about your work, talk about what moves you most, not about the best sellers. Talk about how you feel outdoors, about what the outdoors does for you and how you respond. Blue is a responder-color. Water responds—to light, to wind, to temperature, to gravity. You can’t have a rainbow without water. Turquoise blue is a symbol for clarity and purity as well. So be clear, pure, peaceful and empowered. Receive Earth’s giveaway. Accept the extravagant riches of Blue, of Blue Lightning, and enrich and inspire others. Blue is for inspiration, too.

Okay, Lord, I receive. I receive Your GiveAway so I can give. Help me run today with purpose, and in Joy.

 

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Sink A New Well

Lord, what am I finishing up today, and what am I beginning or renewing tomorrow? What unfinished business do I need to tend to?

I have already arranged something greater than you could have imagined. You don’t have to figure out how about anything. Put your considerable intellect at the service of incredible inspiration. That is another way to say, let your heart lead. You have been living way out of balance, trying to analyze everything and stuffing down your feelings and fears. You need to live in heart and vision. What did I ask Jeremiah? “What do you see?” That is My question to you, spiritually and creatively. As a photographer and as a person, Eve, what do you see?

“Open the eyes of my heart” needs to be your prayer. “Renew my vision, Lord,” is the only now-and-tomorrow prayer you need to remember. You are straining to see through walls and around curves. I have Beauty for you right here. Right now. I don’t want you to pre-visualize; that is not your strength or your gift. I want you to react in the moment to what you see and feel. When I say to see with your heart, come back to your feelings. What do you feel? What emotions are prompted by what you see? How can you convey that emotional response visually, using the scene before you? You already know connection is a keyword with birds and all critters. Ask Me how to receive connecting images in the landscape too—connecting with the land’s voice, or with My Spirit through the landscape, or with the heart of your eventual viewer.

Stop and feel. Let feeling inform your seeing. Allow yourself a wider range of feeling. You might explore feeling frisky, playful, frivolous, mischievous. Think theatrically. Think character and costume and fantasy. Think party and celebration and a good time.

Lord, I keep hearing “playful.”

Yes, I want you to grow younger again. You are not immature but innocent, guileless, trusting, gentle. You are not irresponsible—you are so overly responsible you are literally working and worrying and burdening yourself into an early grave. I have much for you to do, and to see, and to experience and to enjoy—but none of that will happen for you if you continue to drive yourself into the ground. The unfinished business you have today is with you. I want you to unlock the ball and chain you have wrapped around your feet and your hands and your heart. I want you to loose you. I want you to set you free. If I told you that you were totally free, what would you do? Who would you be?

You’ve believed a lie that says you must keep pumping harder when the well is running dry. No, you need to sink a new well.

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Unbridled Joy

I am way over three pages, playing catch-up. And You would say…

You are still so rule-bound. Julia Cameron advises three journal pages. Louise Hay devises a number/color system. You tend to adapt to a lockstep pace—and then you hate it. You chafe at it. You need flexibility, you need freedom, to thrive. You keep turning yourself into a caged animal, into a circus performer. No, no, a thousand times, no. For all the Yes I have spoken over and into your life, this is My grand No.

But…but don’t I have to have a schedule? A routine? Especially now?

Your schedule leaves no room, no time, for surprises. For serendipity. For spontaneity. For play. And thus, very little opportunity for genuine creativity. You are living in a sandbox when I have given you the beach. You are living in a playpen when I Am giving you the world, My world. Look every day for your larger purpose. Look every day for My Presence, manifest. That is what the hearts are about, signs you can share. You won’t have the same set schedule every day, and you are going to love that. Let yourself love that. And yes, it is okay to have some time both at the house and outside by yourself—how else will great songs and stories get written?

We are not abandoning Eve the Photographer, Eve the Image-maker. But finally after decades, you will, your life will, integrate all of you, all of your talents and gifts, all your creative expressions and longings. No longer will worry or even concern about financial solvency dominate your thinking and feeling. As that becomes a non-issue, your mind and heart shall be freed to be creative, wildly passionately joyously creative! Joy is contagious. And My broken world needs it. That is your job. That is what you bring to the table. Unbridled (see the imagery? horse running free?) joy. You can have peace and passionate joy all at once. And this is the year you will experience and exude both, in spades.