What a great topic for this weeks challenge. For me earth is something to be kind to whether it’s creating soil, creating micro climates or enjoying the land through all of our senses.
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
I am a big advocate of having moments where I sit and doing nothing.
No, I am not lazy.
When I sit I am relaxed and I think, plan, regain lost energy, talk to God and soak in his presence as if I were bathing in love.
I have always been one to sit and ponder, to look at the beauty that surrounds me and not be caught up in unnecessary frenzy’s that seem to bother other people.
No, I am not arrogant.
I recognise that I do not function well when I am rushing here and there or when other people want to project their values onto me.
I look at this world and I see it rushing where everything is a race, tested, must have outcomes, must look a certain way, must be a certain way.
I stop amongst the busy crowd. I take my antenna of my head and walk beneath the noise.
Some are rushing through life from one thing to the next. My head gets dizzy when I think about it. Zoom, zoom, no time to enjoy. no time to take in the moment; just no time.
Is life meant to be this way?
Do you know why I sit without guilt? I sit because it would be an insult to God if I didn’t. This life is a gift and there are many things in this world that just don’t interest me. I am not interested maintaining an appearance of wealth. I don’t care if I have to wait for a bus or walk to a destination. What I care about is my health and that of my family. I care about being an artist and making sure this world is coloured by it. I care about looking out for the broken and undervalued. I care about listening to God and acting upon that rather than what I think is right. I care about guarding the slow pace and not getting caught up with silly drama’s.
So I sit and when I do the world still spins on its axis and life goes on. I didn’t need to save the world today, I just needed to show loving kindness to the people who live in it.
Last week I enjoyed an aimless walk around the lake. It was exhilarating and all my happy endorphin’s were exploding in my head giving me joy.
For years I have been a walker of aimless and purposeless pursuit and I have never felt guilty about it. Those were the times when I’d spend time with God, thinking, processing, unwinding, debriefing and relaxing.
It has always played an important part of my well-being and gives me a positive thing to do in slowing down in this fast paced world. When I think the pace of this world is maddening to extreme, I walk the human pace and meander through air partials and sun light or overcast. Natural sounds speak to me and my heart beat feels rested in the knowledge that everything is okay.
This frantic pace, this crazy world…..stuff you!!
I slow down and walk aimless; not everything needs to be organised and compartmentalized.
Pick your battles, choose what is important and organised your head to what is needed for your life, not others.
Not everything has to have purpose.
Inspired by this article
I started to journal regularly at café’s shortly after my mum passed away and when I did I started with a cheap soft cover lined journal. When I had completed that one, I decided to spend a bit more money and honour what I was writing and found my first Pepper Pot journal.
It’s been five pretty and committed years of scribing my thoughts as I have sipped coffee in satisfying contentment.
I was getting to the end of my current journal and this is when the hunt begins for a new Pepper Pot however, this year was difficult and none of the regular haunts stocked them any more, like none!! I searched for a good two months and even went searching while I was in Perth just recently.
NONE
This is when I really started to talk to God about my journal conundrum and my discussion with God has led me in a whole new journalling direction.
I bought myself a visual diary and lets just say that I’m glad I listened to God when he spoke “It’s a new day”
So armed with my new journal style I went to a cafe and came up with this
I really enjoy this new style and feel released and free. I have also noticed that something powerful is happening as I am doing this. It feels as though I have connected with God in a way that is beyond myself and that when I am drawing, I am praying.
I have also experienced some powerful unexpected moments like the time I met a lovely family from Saudi Arabia. The little boy drew a picture of me which I will treasure forever.
I have also noticed that by drawing it is helping me get my ideas for preaching or teaching and my brain is getting into some kind of order.
This is some of my notes for a sermon that I am working on
This is the start of my lesson plan for teaching about Permaculture
It’s like the flood gates have opened and I’m feeling refreshed at this shift in my journalling. It’s like paddling in a canoe with the current on my side and all of creation is cheering me on. It’s a joy, it’s powerful, It’s love.
Up-cycling with something ordinary to make it extraordinary
An ordinary manikin along side one that is quite extraordinary
Make an ordinary room and turn it extraordinary
Another year and another getaway at the same place This time I got to meet the owner and she is lovely. Going back to the same place feels like I’m building a relationship with the place, house, owner and myself. It’s a special thing and even though some things are the same, many things are different.
On my first day I went and sat on black beach again and did some nature art
And the really cool thing was that the next day when I went to the Kiama Farmers Markets, my art was still there
When I went back to the house I explored the backyard as I normally would do and I found a new addition to the place.
Chickens
Every time I come here the backyard becomes more magical with every stay
The next day was my big event: walking the coastal walk from Gerringong to Kiama
I am crazy. I caught the train to Gerringong, had an egg and bacon roll from the bakery then rocked down to the Werri Lagoon. Who knew that Werri beach was soooo looooong. Anyway I made it and as soon as I was on the trail I felt immediate peace.
What an amazing walk. My favourite part is the section between Werri Lagoon and Loves Bay where all you can see is blue sky, blue ocean, green hills and the occasional cow. It’s so dominate that it feeds your soul and does something to nourish it in a way you can’t imagine.
When I got to Loves Bay I was then walking along side civilisation and although it’s still spectacular it holds a different atmosphere. Finally I arrived at The Little Blow hole and to my absolute bitter disappointment the cafe that is close by was closed……aaaarrrrrhhhhh
I had to regroup my thoughts because if you are familiar with Kiama you would know in order for me to get into town I would have to walk up and down a few hills. To regroup I sat on a bench under a tree that overlooks Kendalls beach and gave myself a talking to. “Listen here Tamar, just walk down that path that goes to Kendalls beach caravan park then take that short cut that leads to the other caravan park on top of the hill and then you will see Surf beach and there a coffee shall await you”…….Amen!
So that I did.
When I arrived at The Karari Bar on Surf Beach I was met with a lovely welcome from the owner. I told her that I had just walked from Gerringong and immediately she was offering me a seat and a class of water. Great hospitality and of course, coffee.
That afternoon when I got back to my accommodation I was wreaked but it was a good wreaked, it’s the wreaked that you never regret because you’ve achieved an amazing feat and fulfilled a long term goal.
This is me wreaked in the park
I slept well that night and woke the next morning and said goodbye to yet another getaway feeling refreshed, accomplished and ready to face the world.
Oh for the love of succulents, What’s going on???
Well for me, it started when I did this little thing.
I decided to see if I could save my neglected little succulents by putting them in an old tin box. (Okay, yes….I did pinch the idea from Pintrest)
As time went by my neglected little succulents came alive and I went an added more to the box.
They look so pretty 🙂
I then started doing this with some recovered cinder blocks with the full intention of putting herbs in them, however, as my love of succulents began to grow I decided to change my mind.
This is the finished result of my cinder blocks
and now it’s time to begin planting and collecting
Today as I went for a walk down to the lake I found some more succulents for me to propagate.
This succulent love that I’m experiencing right now is making me feel all warm and fuzzy. Not only am I experiencing the warm fuzzy love of succulents, I can see that at my core I am an artist first, then gardener,
Or should I say gardening is art?
Just recently (well maybe for the past year) I have been very busy making the rented house that we live in a home. One of the things that have made this space feel like home is our backyard chickens.
Good morning ladies
Last year I had an incredibly significant dream. I dreamt that I was at my mum’s house and I was tending a garden in the back yard, I was also creating mosaic arts works. As I was doing this I said “but I don’t live here, it’s not my house?” and God replied “this is your inheritance” and I repeated “but I don’t own this house any more, we sold it” and again God said “this is your inheritance” and again I insisted to God “we sold the house, it doesn’t belong to me” and finally God’s answer “Tamar, this is your inheritance”
I woke from and knew immediately what the dream was about. God was telling me that even though I am living in a rented house I am to love it as though I own it. I was being told and given permission by the almighty God to live like a child with an inheritance.
That’s quite a revelation to walk in and one that has given me much peace an excitement. You see by following what God has instructed me to I have been busy planting gardens and building a positive future. Okay, what if the landlord boots us out?
So?
The knowledge that I have gained in my heart about gardens, design or sustainability can never be taken from me. The land lord only has a piece of paper that declares that he is the owner of the property and we take care of the property and pay the rent as responsible citizens that we are.
My inheritance is much more than just ownership……it goes deeper than that.
So enough of the chit-chat and here is some pictures of the creative fun that I have been having making this little abode more than just a dwelling.
This is just the beginning and my head is buzzing with joy as I live as one who has an inheritance in God.
Tamar's art lounge 