SMALL BEGINNINGS Strong and Mighty Wings and My Presence is Here by Sara Thurman - Wimberley, Texas These angels hover high in my living room. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. Zechariah 4:10 This verse launched an artist. Recently I had the honor to co-teach a breakout session with my artist friend, Sara Thurman, at the inaugural We Believe Women’s Conference in Wimberley, Texas. We are creatives who have been called to pursue our passions (writing for me, painting for her) through avenues that require giant steps of faith and more learning than these two fifty-something former teachers ever imagined. Sara’s story began with a desire to produce income that she could send to missionaries, including her two sons and their wives, in order to bring heaven to the ends of the earth. With no formal training, no artist community support, and only the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Sara completed her first painting with worship music and a small handful of women in October 2014. “The process of layering paint on roofing felt was healing, and my identity of being ‘created to create’ became a reality.” Sara Thurman In November 2016, she sold her first angel created primarily with a palette knife and textured layers of acrylic paint. Angels are her primary subject, but she also paints churches and botanicals. Many of her paintings are also available as notecards, prints, and canvas reproductions. In less than a year, Sara has sold over 200 paintings. Learn more about Sara and shop her inventory at https://www.actsoneeightblessings.com/ I am a small beginning. I don't have a dream team of professionals bossing me around or thousands of people with cash in their pockets and fingers poised to blast a social media blitz to promote my books. But I have encouraging friends, devoted family, steadfast faith, and a stubborn will to learn and stretch and leap out of my comfort zone. I am a small beginning. The story has just begun. What about you? Comfort & Joy Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Hebrews 13:12 NLT Discover how party planner Angeline, angel wings, and a
tiny, dynamic Mayan matriarch named Caladium are connected in my novel All In For Life.
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GATHERING VESSEL Market Days display Gather Assemble Bring together from scattered places Wimberley, Texas is nestled amongst ancient cypress trees, scruffy cedars, and gnarly live oak trees. It is trekked by whitetail deer and carved with limestone-bedded waterways. The hills are dotted with a variety of rental properties for vacations and other gatherings. Family reunions. Weddings. Romantic getaways. Conferences. Crafting retreats. River recreation. Festivals. Rodeos. Shopping. Market Days wall display One of the most popular and free gatherings in Wimberley is Market Days – the second largest outdoor market in Texas with over 450 vendors, food, and music. The Lions Club sponsors Market Days, and the money made from parking and barbeque is contributed to local non-profits, animal rescue groups, and student scholarships, trips, and projects. http://www.shopmarketdays.com/ I went to the the August Market Days with a friend. The temperature was 5000 degrees on the tree-shaded lanes. We visited booths with displays of art, jewelry, pottery, antiques, and stuff. And more stuff. And more rows of stuff. But we found a treasure. Sacapelos. An orange tool that looks like a Velveeta cheese slicer but yanks out facial hair with no mercy. $10 well spent. It really does hurt. We gathered in the pavilion for lunch while listening to friends, Young and Rusty, (Sue Young and Rusty Nelson) sing their original folk and Americana songs. Our neighbor joined them playing bass. http://www.youngandrusty.com/ Today’s technology driven savviness has enabled us to meet, communicate, work, plan, brainstorm, learn, play, date, and be entertained with our eyes and attention glued to devices. There is a legitimate time and place for these encounters. But I submit to you that we have lost the art of gathering. IRL. (In Real Life) I love throwing gatherings of all kinds. Why? Because IRL gatherings trigger all my senses. I taste the salsa someone made with vegetables from her garden. I smell the rain-pelted rosemary (or occasional skunk) from the porch. I hear music and giggles and weeping. I feel the hugs. I see expressions. I don’t misinterpret sarcasm or irritation like I do reading a text. Life is chaotic. People are busy. But creating a holy or celebratory or goofy or relaxing vessel in my home for others to gather is my jam. I often go overboard, but that’s me. What kind of gathering vessel would you love to craft for your people IRL? Do it. Comfort & Joy For where two or more gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20 NIV The opening scene and the final scene of my novel
involve characters gathered around tables. Read about it. ALL IN FOR LIFE YOU'RE WELCOME My granddog Bailey and my girl Tessa Welcome, y’all! Cypress and Sage is a lifestyle blog about life, comfort, events, and people in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Welcome to my “little bit of heaven” in Wimberley, a charming village south of Austin that beckons lovers of art, music, nature, and shopping. Welcome to my world of small town traditions, personalities, and hospitality. Hospitality The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, and strangers. Hospitality at my home includes a few essential ingredients. A comfortable place to relax like a swaying hammock, an Adirondack chair, a sun-bathed chaise lounge with lumpy cushions, or a wooden rocker on the porch. A beverage. Always available is sweet iced tea, a steamy coffee with cinnamon dusted whipped cream in a cute mug, or an icy bottled drink. Add background music, scented candles, snappy conversation, any homemade food, and a wandering Australian Shepherd that drops petals of fur like an obsessively devoted flower girl. This is my perfect, never fail, five-star hospitality recipe. The gift of hospitality is more than nailing Pinterest recipes and engaging in winsome chatter with friends and family. The deeper assignment is to welcome strangers into your space and make them feel like friends and family by creating a safe environment that connects people and builds relationships. This can happen in your home or at church, work, school, club meetings, the park, the gym – pretty much any social group you are a part of that is open to strangers. When I was little, I used to sing a mean little ditty when I didn’t want to be inclusive. “Tick Tock, the game is locked. Nobody else can play.” Ouch. I sang another passive-aggressive song when I wanted a toy my friend clutched in her little fingers. “Share with one another.” These songs were not performed with love in my heart. My motives were selfish. My lips sneered, my hand on my hip. Don't be five-year-old Peggy. Who could you welcome into your group and bless with hospitality? You may meet your new best friend. Comfort & Joy Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 1 Peter 4:9 NLT Angeline Redfern was an exceptional party planner,
but Las Vegas stripper, Krystal Mayflower, had the gift of hospitality. Read about them in my novel, All In For Life. |
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