Am Not

I do not yet know who I am, but slowly I am learning who I am not.
I am not an author, for I cannot complete a novel.
I am not an athlete, for I lack such discipline.
I am not a teacher, for I still have much to learn.
I am not a peacemaker, for my heart remains troubled.
I am not a philanthropist, for I give much less than I could.
I am not a pastor, for I fall short of faith.
I am not an outdoorsman, for I cling too tightly to comfort.
I am not an orator, for my words are not heartbreaking, nor my ideas original.
I am not a soldier, for I cannot muster the passion necessary for the cause.
I am not an inventor, for my imagination cannot stretch so far.
I am not a caregiver, for my selfishness is too great.
I am not a leader, for I stumble too easily.
I am not a follower, for my pride overcomes me.
I am not determined, I am not rational, I am not perfect.
But I am giving, hopeful, and thoughtful.
I am moody, easygoing, open-minded.
I am understanding and kind.
I do not know who I am, and yet—I am me.

Mardi Gras!

Little known fact: the first Mardi Gras celebration in America was in... (drumroll please)...

Mobile, Alabama. Yes, that is correct. Before New Orleans, Mobilians were raising a toast to Fat Tuesday. These days, New Orleans has the big fiesta with all the debauchery and insanity and breasts. But Mobile still has 3 weeks of parades, balls, and parties. It's definitely more family friendly, but still a blast. And still plenty of masks and alcohol to go around.
Anywho, here is a little bit of decor I made to commemorate my participation in the festivities. I actually caught the beads at the first parade of the year (no flashing required) and I made the rest, including the mask.

Mom and Dad's Gifts

In addition to the gift that I made Danno for Valentine's Day and brought to St. Louis with me, I also made something small for each of my parents to celebrate the holiday. Here they are:

For Mom: "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." -Mother Theresa

For Dad: "In every community, there is work to be done.
In every nation, there are wounds to heal.
In every heart, there is power to do it."
-Marianne Williamson

This I Believe

A month ago, I attended the re-orientation retreat as part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. On the first night, we listened to a clip from the awesome MPR show, "This I Believe." It was a six-year-old who had written a list of 100 things that he believed for school. Thirty of these were chosen to be read for this particular episode, which was played for us on the retreat. After listening, we were given a few minutes and invited to formulate a few sentences that highlighted our own beliefs. Here is what I came up with:

I believe in the fundamental dignity of every person, that we are beautiful, unfathomable, and worthwhile in our inherent brokenness. I believe that we all have gifts to bring to the table and tat we are all disabled. I believe that every person deserves to be looked in the eye, every person deserves to be heard, every person deserves to be loved. I believe that I can always give more of my heart and that I can always receive the heart of another.

My Door

Before I started working on the little inspirational projects that I've been doing recently, I spent some time decorating one of the doors in my room with things that I desire to be. I haven't done any in a while, but for a few weeks there I was pretty dedicated to it. Here is my door as it looks now:

It makes me happy.

New on Etsy!

I spent a good amount of time on the couch this weekend, watching a random assortment of movies (from Lucky Number Slevin to Sweet Home Alabama) and working on crafts. I came up with a few new items, three of which are now availible on Etsy! Go check it out!

Here's a sneak peek, just for you:

"By having the courage to be yourself you put something in the world that was not there before."
-Edwin Elliot

"Because you are alive, everything is possible."
-Thich Nhat Hanh

"Nothing is hopeless. We must hope for everything."
–Madeleine L’Engle

In Each Beat is Love

God of All,
Reach down from Your glorious throne
And pick me up in Your mighty hand.
Draw me close to Your heart,
So that I might hear its beating,
So that I might hear its trembling,
So that I might hear its drumming.
What brings You joy,
What brings You pain,
What brings You fear—
Let me hear those beats in You.
What makes You cry,
What makes You dance,
What makes You shiver—
Let me hear those beats in You.
What draws out Your anger,
What calls for Your silence,
What requires Your peace—
Let me hear those beats in You.
For I know that in each beat is love,
Even when my ears must strain to hear it
Through the noise of uncertainty
Or anger or pride or selfishness.
I know that in each beat is love.
So draw me close to Your heart,
So that I hear and know
And believe.

Danno's Gift

Danno's favorite book is "A Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins, about a guy who literally walks across America. When I went to visit Danno this weekend, I brought this little project along with me:

It is definitely one of the most extensive pieces I've created in a while. I started with a canvas that I painted light yellow. The back line of mountains was cut from a great map of London that I found at a thrift store. The second set is blue fabric that I lightly streaked with gray and black paint. For the third, I cut out bits a pieces of songs that somehow related to nature and pasted them to cardstock, then cut it to achieve the desired shape. The fourth set had a background of grayish-purplish paint. I watered down some black paint and covered the gray paint, then blotted off most of it with a tissue. For the green tree line, I cut a few pieces of white fabric, then painted each with some combination of green colors. Around the border are words or phrases that I cut out from magazines that fit in with the theme. Then I used dark blue paint to create the quote. The whole thing was covered in Mod Podge. Ta da!

I was really really happy with the result. Pretty impressed with myself, actually.

Keep craftin'