This week is a busy week and it is only Wednesday. I hope yours is not as busy, but I hope it is as productive as mine has been so far. I started off this week with a cleaning mission. I have to confess that our bonus room has become a hoarding stash of crafts, fabrics and other miscellaneous items. So Saturday, I started the decluttering and disposing of my hoard. By Sunday evening, I had made a ton of progress and had sorted out 6 bags of trash and a heap of recycling. But after all that work, I needed a creative break. Let’s face it, I needed an excuse to quit cleaning!

For the past week I’ve had a verse on my mind. I don’t remember when I jotted it down, but it’s been in my planner for a while and I ran across it last week. Philemon 1:7 – “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” I also have little sketches in my planner and I had one for a mason jar. So budda bing, budda boom, I put them together in this cute little piece of work. I adore drawing these little art deco looking flowers. They remind me of dogwood blossoms, but with more petals than just four. So I colored them pink in honor of my favorite color of dogwood blossom. The love banner is also pink, because I LOVE pink. LOL. The whole piece came together quickly. After refining it Monday , I traced it into my journaling Bible last night after finishing (mostly) my cleaning mission. It was my reward for all the hard work I have done cleaning that room!

It has been my unofficial resolution this year to let go of the judgemental nature I can sometimes have (wait, I’m surely not talking about myself, am I?) and focus on being an encouragement to others instead. It all started last fall with a sermon that smacked me in the face and I haven’t been able to let go of it. It still smacks me and I am trying to work through the pain and see what it is that God want me to do. It’s hard for me, and I’m hoping this little bit of joy in my Bible will keep spurring me onward.

So, why is my resolution unofficial, you might ask. Because if it was an official resolution, I’d resent the fact that I was failing in keeping it and that resentment would lead me away from doing anything and that is not the path I want to travel…so, it is unofficial, no pressure, just JOY.

BTW, if you would like a template to add this cute art to your journaling Bible or to make bookmarks, it’s available here in my Etsy store.