Pollyanna Art

Images & Insights On the God Inspired Artful Life… Featuring Cheri Douglas & Her Artful Friends

At the New Year’s time we hear lot about celebrating the new year, adopting resolutions for the new year, and setting goals for the new year.  Well, what about the old year? What do we do to put the old year to bed? Is it really possible to go into the new year successfully without at least saying good bye to the old year?

We have many examples of the importance of endings in our lives. Think about it. Desserts are the crowning glory to a nice meal. Graduations mark the ending of huge efforts. Funerals mark the passing of lives. Even a good book depends on the last chapter to make sense of the rest. Many endings are artistic and ritualistic in nature. Why?

Change is just as dependent upon effective endings as it is on effective beginnings.  Endings are the help us to “let go”, so that we can free ourselves to “grab onto” the beginning.  The things we hang onto and the things we let go of define us in the deepest recesses of our psyches.  We identify with what we hang on to and there is only so much we are able to have in our grasp at the same time.

If we feel limited by events or people who have had a negative impact on us, as long as we hang onto that thought, it has control over us by controlling our focus. Everything becomes an interpretation of that lens on reality and we cannot truly free ourselves from its grasp to strike out on some new success.  The new success would be a violation of the belief we are holding, and people subconsciously want their belief’s to turn out to be right…even the negative ones sadly.

Simply put, what we all know is that “old baggage” drags us down. Some people go through life accumulating so much old baggage, it’s like they travel with a caravan of UHaul trailers loaded to overflowing.  Whenever there is an opportunity to do something new or change for the better, they have oodles of examples from one of their trailers to prove it can’t possible workout.

While the sense of the impossible seems incredibly real at the time, it is amazing how quickly it becomes impossible when someone decides to give up the baggage. I have done it and I have seen it happen in others. Once the old baggage is willingly given up, all the excuses just fall away and life emerges new and refreshed…as long as you don’t go picking through the old trash again.

So this New Years Eve take only the blessing of 2009 along with you that lift and encourage you. The things that happened that brought you joy will continue to bring you joy in the new year. But those things that dragged you down or depressed you will also keep doing that if you hang onto them.

Lots of Americans have a lot of baggage from 2009 to let go of so we can face the New Year with great expectations.  We’ve lost finances, lost jobs, lost business contracts, lost homes, lost credit ratings…possibly even lost relationships under the stress of this challenging year. They all need to be left in the graveyard of 2009. 2010 is a new adventure and you deserve a chance to receive 2010 with enthusiasm and expectation that God Himself is doing a new and even BETTER thing in your life. I am hanging onto that vision!! Join me in having a BIG VISION for a renewed future of success and blessings. And by all means, bury the sense of guilt! You didn’t create this mess and God know it. He is with us and wants to help us all recover for his glory. In the words of Winston Churchill…Never, never, never, quit!!

So I am having an Artful Ending! I am having a funeral and graveside service for the disappointments of 2009. Jeff and I are writing down everything we want to forget and wadding it all up. Then we will stomp on it and say a eulogy. We will bury it under the tombstone I made for the event, and come back  in and eat potato salad…just like every funeral I’ve ever attended. Then we move on for a new adventure! Can’t wait to give some memories up! Try the artful dumping of your bad memories. You will be amazed at how it frees you up to grab onto a renewed vision of your future! Claim your success! God made you for greatness and He isn’t done with you yet!! HUGS Friends and Happy New Year

Silhouettes placed on the inside of glass in a frame with a “Artfelt” note fo a loved one. (tip make the pattern for the silhouette from a digital photo printed on your printer.) Thanks for the example from @Nixinoxo

This next example uses scrapbooking techniques you can find on a Google search.  Make an “Artfelt” page and frame it. Anything from the heart will be art to the receiver, so don’t worry this to death. This one was made with some string and garage sales price tags, a couple of photos and love letters (The most important part!) The text graphics are stickers available in craft stores. Also good are flashy words cut out of magazine articles and ads. Keep your eyes open for materials around you!!!Put your heart into the “Artful Life”…God will bless your efforts!! He’s the author of ART!

Acts 1:14
They all continued to pray in one accord.

There is nothing more solid than a family that prays in earnest for one another. Help a family you love to get bit by the family prayer bug this Christmas. It starts when you write a prayer note to each member of the family.  Make it personal and put it in an envelop with their name on it. Just pray for God to give them the desires of their hearts  and to use them as lights in the world with the unique gifts and talents they have been given.

Find a special box that reflects the importance of the prayers it holds. The goal is that the box becomes a central focus in a room where the family gathers. If  you are crafty get a wooden box in a craft store and decorate it. Better yet, if you have the skill, make a box! If you don’t feel capable of either, there are lots of lovely boxes in the $10 neighborhood in many home gift stores, departments, and garage sales.

You can also get very inexpensive note cards in craft stores or dollar stores. Or just cut up paper.  Place your written notes in the box with your written instructions for the family to place their own prayers for each other, like surprises, whenever they are inspired. It is also a good routine to write a prayer for holidays and birthdays.

Place blank note cards for the family to continue using. A separate color card can be used like an “SOS” for a family member to request prayer for something urgent. At least once a week the family should sit down together and check out the box.  Each person reads their private prayer surprises to themselves,  and everyone prays together for the prayer requests.

A prayer box gives a family another outlet for improving communication, sharing their challenges, and most of all, combining the strength of their own unity to appeal to God for his love and care over their everyday lives! Nothing but good can come from such shared devotion to prayer. Shared prayer creates cords that cannot be broken!

Here’s a great way to start an Artful family tradition and make sure the kids know that Jesus is the one we truly celebrate on Christmas. Have a regular birthday party with a birthday cake and take turns telling each other what you are giving to Jesus for His birthday this year. Write what you are giving Him on a card and put all the cards in a box, to be read next year at the same celebration. Light the candles on the cake and sing Happy Birthday to the baby Jesus. Then go to http://www.worldsbiggestchristmascard.com  http://bit.ly/5IGQU1 and let everyone sign the worldwide birthday card to Jesus. Build memories, build traditions, build heirlooms of faith in your family!

Fine Art happens when we reach into our hearts and find the unique beauty  God placed there, pull it out and give it away to share it with the love and joy invented by God himself. That creates the Artful Life. Football Coach, Ed Thomas lived the artful life and his unique brand of Fine Art still lives on today through the many lives he touched!

Red  Shirt (in my email today from www.redshirtfridays.org)

If  the red shirt thing is new to you, read below  how it went for a man…

Last  week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I  noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a  folded flag, but did not put two and two  together.

After we boarded our flight, I  turned to the sergeant, who’d been invited to  sit in First Class (across from me), and  inquired if he was heading home.

No, he  responded.
Heading out I asked?

No.  I’m escorting a soldier home.

Going to  pick him up?

No. He is with me right now.  He was killed in Iraq , I’m taking him home to  his family.

The realization of what he  had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the  gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that,  although he didn’t know the soldier, he had  delivered the news of his passing to the  soldier’s family and felt as if he knew them  after many conversations in so few days.

I turned back to him, extended my hand,  and said, Thank you, Thank you for doing what  you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot  stopped short of the gate and made the following  announcement over the intercom.

“Ladies  and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have  had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the  United States Marine Corps join us on this  flight He is escorting a fallen comrade back  home to his family. I ask that you please remain  in your seats when we open the forward door to  allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive  his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the  seat belt sign.”

Without a sound, all  went as requested. I noticed the sergeant  saluting the casket as it was brought off the  plane, and his action made me realize that I am  proud to be an American.

So here’s a  public Thank You to our military Men and Women  for what you do so we can live the way we  do.

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you  will see a great many people wearing Red every  Friday. The reason? Americans who support our  troops used to be called the “silent majority.”  We are no longer silent, and are voicing our  love for God, country and home in record  breaking numbers. We are not organized,  boisterous or overbearing.

Many  Americans, like you, me and all our friends,  simply want to recognize that the vast majority  of America supports our troops. Our idea of  showing solidarity and support for our troops  with dignity and respect starts this Friday –  and continues each and every Friday until the  troops all come home, sending a deafening  message that … Every red-blooded American who  supports our men and women afar, will wear  something red.

By word of mouth, press,  TV — let’s make the United States on every  Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming  football game in the bleachers. If every one of  us who loves this country will share this with  acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family,  it will not be long before the USA is covered in  RED and it will let our troops know the once  “silent” majority is on their side more than  ever, certainly more than the media lets  on.

The first thing a soldier says when  asked “What can we do to make things better for  you?” is. “We need your support and your  prayers.” Let’s get the word out and lead with  class and dignity, by example, and wear  something red every Friday.

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Follow @CheriDouglas each morning with prayers and inspirations to start your day. Or read them posted her afterwards…anytime of day!!