Fun Christmas Wreath

Here is a picture of Veronica's Christmas wreath she made for her boss - constructed from lots of green and red card stock cut into swirls and rolled up into little rosettes. Final touches are little jingle bells and a big, red bow. Excellent job!

Girl Friday

OK, so Veronica and I got together over the weekend to do some more art work, and I set out to take on an ambitious project--a picture of my oldest daughter. Problem is that it doesn't really look like her, but it turns out that she doesn't mind. Initially when I was drawing the face with pencil, she wanted nothing to do with it and had me promise to not associate her name with the finished product. I obliged her and made the eyes blue lest anyone question whether it was a picture of her. However, when she saw how pretty the face turned out, immediately she reclaimed it and wanted everyone, including her boyfriend, to know that her mom was drawing her portrait. LOL.

In the end, we all decided that this girl is a mixture of my two daughters and me, which is fitting, so I named her Girl Friday. It really has been fun for me doing these pictures--it is a form of worship that leaves me unconscious of time so that I find myself working into the wee hours of the morning. Wonder what the Lord will have me do next?

When You First Believed

Here is another Holy Spirit inspired poem by Veronica Delgado. Enjoy!

When You First Believed

When you first believed in me,when you first put your faith in meit was as though you fell into my arms.Pained, wounded and broken,I mended you perfectly and deliveredyou to the Father.

Still cradling you, I stretched my arms
to pass you to Him.
“Father,” I said “she is the one.
She is the one for whom
I have given my life.
She is the one for whom I suffered.
She is the one whose debt I have paid.

Is she not stunning?
Is her beauty not perfect ?
When I look into her eyes I see
every beautiful thing you have made.
When I look deep within her I see
faith that runs deep and hopes that run high.

He reaches out and carefully
takes you into His arms.
Weeping and overcome with joy
He holds you close. “My beloved,” he says,
“Finally you are mine again.
I have planned this moment since the beginning.
I have waited so long for you.”

Don’t you see? Don’t you see that we
have been waiting for you?
That we have loved you from the beginning?
That we delight in your faith;
That there is no greater joy than seeing you rest in our arms?

The Flower Dance

A strange thing is happening with me--I'm getting this compulsion from the Holy Spirit to sit down and draw pictures! I doodled as a girl, took some art lessons along the way, including in college, but never had the patience to create something like this. Here is my latest creation, called The Flower Dance, which I did with colored pencil, sharpies, and paint pens. I view it as a picture of God's children dancing and rejoicing before the Lord, coming in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I think I'll hang it in my new office as an inspiration. I'm amazed that the Lord has pulled this talent out of me. If He can do it for me, He'll do it for you too!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's wonderful when your sweet daughters claim they need to run to the store for feminine products (always a good excuse!) and come home with these beautiful roses! Today is a great day to remember those romantic loves in our lives, like our sweet, handsome husbands who God gave us as precious gifts. It is also a great day to remember and be thankful for our darling kids, more precious gifts from God! But most importantly, it is a great day to remember our heavenly bridegroom, Jesus, who shed his blood on the cross and died for us.

Those who know me, know I am always looking for Jesus and the finished work of the cross in everything the world offers. And Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity! Ever wonder why it's hearts, sweets, red, roses, love...??? It's all about Jesus! A red valentine's heart points to Jesus, the wonderful romantic savior! He is the rose of Sharon, the balm of Gilead, the one who offers sweet words of love and tender mercy. So if you don't have a hubby, boyfriend, or romantic love, remember that Jesus is here with open arms, offering His heart to you. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

When the Sun Peeks Through

Here is a fabulous poem written by Veronica Delgado (aka Noni) who is in the Kingdom Principles Writers Group. Enjoy! It is Holy Spirit inspired!

When the Sun Peeks Through

When the sun peeks through
the blinds in the morning
and tickles yours eyes, it’s me.

When the waves wash up
over your tender legs
on the shore, it’s me.

When the wind hugs you
and the stars bring you hope;
when the trees shade you
and the grass seats you
it is I.

It’s me, the one who loves you the most;
peeking at you while you sweetly sleep,
stroking your lovely legs,
pulling you into my embrace,
shading you from the hot Georgia sun,
giving you a place to rest.

When you look up at the stars
knowing that there is more in this world
than what you can touch,
I am looking down at you
knowing that everything that
makes life worth living
is within you.

Less is More!

We had Art Ministry again last night at Veronica's and the theme was flowers. We had two more sisters with us, Sulma and Terri, and it was lots of fun. We listened to music and gabbed like girlfriends instead of talking about Scripture and the Lord. Sometimes that is what He wants us to do - to get together and enjoy each other's company.

OK, so Veronica gave us free reign of all the things in her condo (again, a mini-Michael's) and I chose to pounce on Terri's contribution of her mom and grandma's old jewelry. This is what I got: a floral encrusted bouquet that looks like something one would hang in a little girl's room. It has pink and black, two color combos I love, so how could I go wrong? Anytime there's pink, there's beauty, and I know Veronica would agree, since she is a pink fanatic.

Today, I looked at my picture and thought it was too overdone, so I ripped off some of the embellishment on the side (or "encrusting" as I fondly call it), which left me with this final product. I was reminded of the old saying, especially when it comes to accessorizing and decorating, "less is more." Of course, this holds no weight when it comes to chocolate, money, or even the Lord Jesus!

This is what Sulma, Veronica, Brooke and Terri did, in that order. Aren't they beautiful? I love all of them! God has blessed all of us with amazing talents!

Movie of the Month - Moneyball

Here is my latest movie review which appears in February's www.christianfictiononlinemagazine.com under At the Movies. It really is a great flick. Make sure you check out the online magazine. There are always great articles for writers.

Moneyball

Brad Pitt is in top form in this bio-pic set in 2002, about the Oakland Athletics general manager (GM), Billy Beane. Stuck with a team who is on a long-arm losing streak, as well as a bottom-rung payroll budget, Beane is up against a wall when he learns that his four top players are leaving as free agents to play for the wealthier teams. Trying to negotiate a favorable trade with the Cleveland Indians only leaves him more frustrated, until he stumbles upon one of their junior employees, Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), whose opinion on players’ worth influences the Indians' general manager.

After a bit of interrogation, Beane learns that Brand is a Yale graduate with a degree in Economics—not exactly the logical choice for scouting top major league players. But what he does have is an uncanny ability to look beyond the basic player statistics and pinpoint strengths that don’t show up on paper—particularly the ability to get on base. Brand’s method for discovering hidden talent is based on the theory that the more players who have a high likelihood of getting on base, the greater the likelihood of scoring runs and, thus, winning games. Beane is intrigued with this line of thinking and hires Brand away from the Indians.

I never in a million years would have thought that a baseball story would be edge-of-the-seat exciting, even with Brad Pitt in the starring role. Despite having a son who played Little League and a husband who occasionally watches baseball (especially when the Braves are doing well), I know very little about the game and have never been too interested. However, this story makes the business side of the sport exciting, intriguing, and full of political intrigue, where greedy team owners and competitive GMs shuffle players around the major league board like pawns in a chess game.

This is the heart of Money Ball: Beane has to fight against the old guard of stubborn managers and scouts who are set in their ways and too rigid to adopt Brand’s questionable method of putting a team together. It is an underdog story that doesn’t have a true Hollywood "feel good" ending, leaving the viewer a bit disappointed. While Beane does eventually find success in forging a team with an incredible winning streak (an impressive twenty games, setting the American League record), there is no pennant win and, of course, no World Series title.

Now a few comments on Brad Pitt. I have loved him as an actor and Hollywood leading man since Thelma and Louise, Legends of the Fall, Meet Joe Black, and The River Runs Through It, to name a few. Unlike those films, it was clear in this movie that he was trying to downplay his looks, particularly with close-up, grainy shots that showed every pore, wrinkle, and scar on his face—and a haircut that looked like it had been styled by a Supercuts intern and was in need of a good washing. Fortunately, Mr. Pitt failed miserably in his efforts to dissuade me (and I’m sure millions of other ladies) from admiring his handsomeness. Despite getting older, it is still very much intact.

All in all, this is not the typical sports/action movie but is more of a cerebral story with an exciting plot that builds to a satisfying moral ending. Touching scenes with Beane’s little daughter were special and heartwarming, antagonistic confrontations with the A’s manager (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman) provided the necessary obstacles that propelled the story forward, and the unusual friendship and camaraderie between Beane and Brand allowed for some good humor. Also worth noting is the lack of any romance, sex, or curse words, even though there was ample opportunity to do so. I was especially glad to leave the theater and not be able to remember one time that the Lord’s name was taken in vain.

What I liked best about this story was the tenacity and perseverance Beane displayed, taking his reputation and career all the way to the edge of potential disaster, despite opposition, hostility, and naysayers on every front. But eventually, perseverance won out, and Beane was successful in changing the game, which was his ultimate goal. Yes, it would have been nice for the A’s to have won a championship that year, but Beane was satisfied with proving his theory true.

With a title like Money Ball, you might wonder whether Billy Beane made a dime from this ingenious move, and the answer is unclear. Propelled by the lack of money, he embarked on this wild, tumultuous journey to win games, eventually being offered the highest paying salary for a GM in all of baseball history—a whopping $12.5 million a year with Boston. But he turned it down to stay in Oakland, while the Red Sox incorporated his theory into their recruiting efforts and won the World Series two years later. It is a bittersweet ending, but appropriate at the same time. As in any good story, Beane discovered that there is more to baseball—and to life—than money. A good lesson for us all.