Doing The Hard Thing Brings Unearned Undeserved Favor

This week seems to be the week where I am oft-inspired to pinch myself.

I can’t believe I get to do what I do. I can’t believe that I get to touch a paintbrush to a canvas and express myself. I can’t believe that other souls resonate with what they see, and decide to create a beautiful, valuable, equal exchange of energy (read: they pay me to do this thing!).

I can’t believe that I regularly receive emails with pictures (the shot above is one example, received a couple of nights ago) and words that say, “I cried. I opened your art, and I cried.”

This is the sort of thing that happens when the King is your friend. This is the sort of thing that happens when a woman in the middle takes the “road less traveled by”. This is the sort of thing that happens when a woman in the middle stays the course set before her, refusing to leave her post - the outcome ends up being something she did not earn and could never deserve. (Do you hear the “both/and” in that? I have deep theological reasons for it - going all the way back to God’s covenant with Abram. But I am pretty sure you want to keep that for another post for another day!)

Giveaway {...a free spot in Jane Hinchcliffe's year-long expressive portrait painting course!}

When Jane emailed me about participating in her “Year of Portrait Painting”, I was intrigued. But when I saw the tag line, “…with a gentle focus on Slow Living” - I was sold. I believe that the best progress is gentle and slow.

I believe that, in spite of the fact that when I first picked up a paintbrush, only about 7 years ago, I truly believe “the spirit of the Lord came upon me and the glory of the Lord overshadowed me”. (I’m only a little bit tongue-in-cheek, there) Progress was leaps and bounds and quick and involved hours and hours a day of hard work. It did not feel like work, though, because the healing I was also experiencing was so deep and so good.

July is my month to participate. I will be sharing a portrait painting “how to”, and I will be sharing my thoughts on what it means to be an embodied woman “in the middle”, and how that relates to gentleness. I happen to believe that an understanding of the gentleness of God is the most powerful thing you can have, once you are about age 35 and older. Really knowing this aspect of the character and nature of God will empower you to make genuine progress in places you may have felt stuck.

I want to gift YOU with a spot in this year-long course. You can find out more about it here.

I will draw a winner at random on or about June 30th. To be entered to win, click here with your best email address (this is the email to which all your course material will be sent).

Thank you, Jane, for inviting me to be a part of such a good thing!