Scribble & Dots: Kids DIY Family Art Project for Gifts

 Our family is very close, always has been since I was a wee one. I used to spend many of my weekends with my Aunts and/or Grandparents. We had a family business where most of the family worked together. We lived within a couple miles of each other. We spent all holidays together celebrating.  We typically would have a Big Ole Family Dinner gathering once a week. Went to church together. F A M I L Y. 

Within the last 10 years, one by one, we have lost almost all of our local family that we celebrated daily life with. As the holidays that are well known for gathering all your peeps together were approaching in November, I began to become sad. I missed the day to day living with extended family. All of a sudden God got my attention - you still have this family in your home, it is just moving down through the generations. Sure enough as I looked around I still saw a gathering of peeps. They were just much smaller.

Within the walls of our home we frequently have an abundance of little ones running here, playing there and yes, there is some squabbling at times. It's not uncommon for the cousins to come stay the weekend with us a few times a month.

As I write this the younger cousins range in age from 8-10 years old. This little chaotic clan consists of my little guy, Nate - (who is 8 years old), the twins, boy & girl (who just turned 9) and a 10 year old boy. There are the olders too @ 12 & 13 years old. Add in a 19 & 24 year old and you see the total picture that could be gathered on any given weekend.  These kids LOVE to play board games, tell stories, make craft projects, play on the computer and... DRAW! They are a creative bunch. 

Trying to find a sheet of paper or blank notebook within our walls is pretty scarce as we usually find sketches or cartoons plastered on the pages. Like this one:

 

Super cute - but when you need to make a quick important note a blank page seems way more appealing. 

The day I was speaking of earlier, where I was moping over our decreasing numbers and God brought my attention to the youngers - He also gave me a great idea. I had this vision of "The Gathering Place" . A treasured location where we all come together to fellowship around a table. In place of my historical mental picture where my elders were around the table and I was the child. This time I was one of the elders. (Yes - I do find this a bit frightening) and the table was full of the upcoming generation below us. 

Instantly I had a brainstorm. The cousins were already at our house for the weekend. We could make a gift for Grandma. My Dad passed away 2 years ago and Christmas has just not been the same for her, or any of us,  since. I had been trying to come up with an arts and crafts project the kids could make her. When you have this many kids though would she really want 4-6 versions of the same DIY children's project? 

Well, I had what I thought was a terrific answer to my Kid's Craft quandary. So I bundled the kiddos all together around the table and encouraged them to warm up their little fingers as they practice doodled to perfection. We were going to create a collective piece of art. Each cousin was going to draw 1-2 people in our family around our Gathering Place. The kids even decided to add all of the precious little furry friends in our family project. 

Isn't this precious? I just LOVE it! (In the middle of the family at the top are my parents. My Dad is in heaven now but even though he is not here physically with us we still needed to have him represented within our family.)

Then I scanned and imported the image into my graphic editing program where I added names. From here I knew I had two projects I wanted to create. 

1. DIY Sack Cloth Kitchen Towel Project with heat transferred images on it in a cute oval frame with 
   "Gathering Place" printed underneath it. (Image above)
   
   
2. I also wanted to frame the adorable family project in a solid black frame with a cute  little burlap embellishment that had been heat transferred with an  image that said "FAMILY". (below)

I have to say this not only captured a fun and fantastic family snapshot in their drawing. It also captured the quirkiness of the illustrators as well. For those of us in the family we can look at each of the drawings and identify who sketched whom. It is a treasured keepsake for sure. It was such a simple craft project really, very inexpensive and I love that it was a group labor of love. I believe it is something Grandma will treasure forever. 

I will be putting up a post later on quick and easy image transfer gift giving projects that will give you the "how-to" on the towels and burlap. So make sure to check back. 

Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. (NLT)

-Simply Sublime

Thanksgiving & Remembrance

Look at these precious faces. Look deep into their eyes. They are just babies really - still so young in years but as you can see their eyes reflect a depth that usually comes with age, with life experience, with pain. These children know pain...every single one of them. 

They know very well the pain of hunger,

 the pain of loss, the pain of abuse. 

Safety for them means making it through a night where their family has not been pillaged in the dark of night. Home really means shelter: a rusty metal roof over a one room shanty with no running water or electricity. 

Food is sometimes, if fortunate enough,  the possibility of a meal once a day. What is a meal? Maybe - rice and beans. It can also mean a cup of chai (tea). They are hungry. In most cases (as graphic as this is) the worms in their little tummies get the majority of the nourishment they consume.

I have had the honor of wrapping my arms around these sweet children. I still cannot believe God has given me the opportunity to be in their presence and experience the joy they have despite circumstance. They may or may not remember me...but I...

I REMEMBER them!

As I am preparing to spend a day with my family rejoicing over God's bounty He has given us: 

a land of opportunity

a family of LOVE,        a  Safe HOME,

Freedom of Religion, and so much more.. 

I simply cannot be blind to what I have witnessed, to what my hands have touched. My heart aches for them. Don't get me wrong - I am not ungrateful. I appreciate and love most things about the land God planted me on - I am equally as humbled wondering why me? Why was I born in the US where we have an abundance of resources and help? Why God do these children suffer so? How can I appreciate what I have been given knowing I did not earn it, when these children work so very hard for so little reward.

Some things just can't be answered this side of heaven. I know deep in my heart I can totally TRUST my ABBA Father. He knows ALL - and my limited vision is short sighted the majority of the time. When the weight of their reality is settling heavily on my heart & mind I will continue to cling to him. I am often reminded when my heart breaks for what breaks His, well... it is then that He is pleased with me. 

So as spoiled as I will feel sitting down at a feast at our Thanksgiving Table, as undeserving as I honestly am to be placed in the land of opportunity - I will take all of that and see what God can do with it. He is in the business of restoring the ugly into the B E A U T I F U L. He, no doubt, will use my internal chaos and refine it into something pure. For that I am... 

TRULY THANKFUL.

Isaiah 61:1-7 The Message

^1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
    because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
    heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
    pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
    a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
    and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
    give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
    a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
    planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
    raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
    take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
    and foreigners to work your fields,
But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,”
    honored as ministers of our God.
You’ll feast on the bounty of nations,
    you’ll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
    and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
    and your joy go on forever.

-Simply SUBLIME

A Love Story: M I N E

"Once Upon a Time..."
Yesterday a dear friend was sharing something profound at our Building Character Co-op during chapel time. She was opening up our minds to grasp how God, from the VERY beginning, was creating our S T O R Y.  She went into movies that deeply impact us and the why behind it. Many times it resonates within us because we are being called to be BOLD, or perhaps to be the one rescued. We long for adventure & romance. We were created for it.

Yet so often we find ourselves discontent in our daily lives which consist of tasks & check marks. Done, check that off, done, done, D O N E! It seems mundane, disconnected, lonely. Example: It is a fact that I cleaned the fridge, swept the floor & made dinner but I certainly am not creating some captivating scene here.  Nothing story worthy at all really. Except maybe to the ones receiving the work of our hands.

Then there are the days that we are literally slapped by some unforeseen force that knocks us down hard.  How many of us would willingly sign up ahead of time for abandonment, abuse, loss, heartbreak or tragedy? Still whether invited or not it becomes a part of our story.

Today I have been pondering on this, my journey, My S T O R Y. At times, especially in the beginning, I longed for that- "always feel good, be happy, found love, happy family, keep smiling", life. It only took a few steps down the road to realize my vision was short-sighted...or was it?

I have certainly had my share of ups and downs. Growing up I had an extremely close family who all lived within a 60 mile radius - most of us lived within a 10 mile radius. Our family that lived in the same town went to church together, vacationed together, had weekly dinners together, most worked together. My Grandparents and Parents both stayed married together. As a little girl this seemed perfect. Right here in this moment is where I set my romantic life vision "This will be my life".

As I stepped into the teens I began to see a different side to life...tragedy. My beloved Grandfather began having health issues. After years of cancer he passed away. He was my hero! This was my first taste of heartbreak. He holds such a dear place in my heart to this day I can't whisper his name without tears brimming. I knew from this moment on my story would be forever changed. It could not possibly look as simple as what I had planned.

I won't go into all the details of my real story as this would be a novel. I will tell you it could indeed be a novel, and most would not believe it to be true. I have experienced immense love, loss, tragedy, extreme pain, I have been rescued and I have gone on amazing adventures. I wouldn't say I would voluntarily sign up for all of it, had I been given some foresight, yet looking back I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every single line of my story has been richly written by a loving hand. I know I can trust the Author. I have found this to be true. All of the ups and down in the journey have helped me to realize there is only one hand I can completely trust to reach up to...and He just happens to be holding a pen in the other hand!
-SimplySUBLIME

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2

In my thought process today I thought it would be fun to  create an etsy treasury representing a small portion of my story. Here is a link to it.
My etsy treasury of the day, but for my life.