Worry weeds

Worries grow like weeds. Pluck them out early before they take over.

Just as the weeds spring up after a shower of rain, worries pop into our minds when given a little sustenance. But they can swiftly take over. (Why is it that weeds seem to grow more quickly than the things we actually plant in the garden? And why don't the slugs and snails eat them instead of the veggies I'm trying to grow?)

I find the easiest way to deal with worry - as with weeds - is to pluck it out swiftly. I have plenty of things that I could worry about, that I could mull over and allow to take up all my time, but it isn't productive. So I ''cast all my anxieties on Him because He cares for me." Just voicing my worries can put things into perspective.

How do you  get off the hamster wheel of worry?

Glimpses

It feels, some days, that I'm only seeing glimpses of this art journal! I'm grabbing five minutes at a time where I can so I don't have a lot to post at the moment.

This page is about catching glimpses of light. The trench is where I feel I'm at, but there is light overhead even if I can't catch much of the view.

Living in the in-between

Living in the in-between. Feeling neither here nor there some days. Dealing with paperwork for the next thing but still living the everyday where we are.

When I stood back from this page there was a big chasm down the middle of it, separating one side from the other. Seemed pretty clear what that was all about!

So much to do!

So much to do! I have a list for Australia and a list for the UK. My head is like this page - full of lots of different things.

So yes, I've been a bit hit and miss with the blog posts, but I'm trying to keep up!

Faces in 5mins or less

Just a little face practice today. These faces took 1 - 5mins each. I went straight in with the pen or ink in a waterbrush, so you can see all the lines that went in to each one. Some of the shading is off. Some of them are a bit lopsided, but then who isn't? 😊

As and when

As and when.

That's when things are provided.

As much as I would like to have everything I need for the next six months all lined up, it doesn't seem to work like that. Things aren't always provided ahead of time.

I just have to trust that it will be there when needed.

As and when.

The beating of wings

The beating of wings...

When a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis it is not immediately ready to fly. Its wings are crumpled and need to have blood (or haemolymph in this case) pumped through them to firm them up. There is a trying out of the wings before they are trusted to flight.

How often do we go through a transformation and immediately expect to do something different? But there is often a lag as the changes in that transformation are made 'user ready'. Don't be so desperate to take flight that you don't beat your wings a few times on the ground first to strengthen them. The flapping is necessary, like the flight check a pilot goes through before take off.

Setting things in motion

Setting things in motion.

There is an excitement in moving on to something new.

There is also a lot of hard work involved!

At the moment everything feels uphill - I'm making ever-growing lists of things that need to be done here in Australia and in the UK before and just after we move. Some days it feels a bit overwhelming.
Will it all be done in time? Will everything slip into place in the right order? How will we cope for eight weeks living out of a suitcase?

Of course, we've done it before, moving here from the UK just over eight years ago, but it is still daunting. (In some ways because we have done it before and know what to expect).

And once the uphill struggle is conquered, there is the 'out-of-control' ride to the bottom. There comes a point where the whole journey gains its own momentum and you just have to hold on until it's done.

But today I'll just keep pushing up that hill.

Kindness

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Kindness is an underrated virtue. How often do we say that so-and-so is so nice when what we really mean is that they are kind - friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness encompasses a concern for others, often at a cost to oneself in either time or resources. Those who are kind are good listeners. They take notice of what is said - and what remains unsaid - and act in a way that brings comfort or help.

Kind words lift your spirit and bring encouragement, so why withhold them? Take a chance and tell that mother how well she is coping when she stays calm as her toddler has a tantrum. Offer to carry some bags for an elderly person who is struggling. Make a meal for that new couple who have just moved in next door. Pay for the person behind you on the toll road.

Kindness can be simple and quick, but the impact can be huge.

Find three ways to be kind today and brighten someone's day.

Feelings

Feelings.

You have to acknowledge them, but you can't trust them.

Sometimes they lie to you.

Just because you feel it doesn't make it true.