Being a DIY Underachiever.....or Not

Let’s be honest – we’d all like to be that husband/dad/man who can build or fix just about anything. And, in the female species, the gal who is incessantly on FB or Instagram touting their latest, successful DIY project. I’m Joanna Gaines in my dream world. My daughter and her husband amazed me when their DIY project at their townhome became a complete success. Go here to see the video! https://rvepiphany.com/f/building-a-courtyard

I put some DIY action to my dreams during quarantine – after all, there was plenty of time to DIY something – anything! Mind you – I am NOT Joanna Gaines in any way, but I am pleased with my meager efforts. I planted some perennials. Whoohoo! And, that empty Texas planter on my front porch now has some beautiful succulents added to it. It’s nice to see something growing in it. I tried cooking some new recipes and I have a freezer full to choose from! Does that score any points at all? I bought a ring light for all these Zoom meetings I attend – and set it up myself! I made a door wreath for Easter! I cut my hair and colored it. Hmm! Maybe I’m not a DIY want-to-be after all!

My latest projects include the facemasks I made for myself. Thanks to the internet for the “how-to’s”! AND, after a 36" x 24" outdoor wood hanging (left from the previous owners) became weather-worn and lost its hold to the bricks it was adhered to, I took some decals from my after-Christmas buys, stained the wall-hanging and whoa-la – my Christmas DIY project success! I was giving myself some kudos for my minuscule efforts.

I love the words “Joy to the World – the Lord is come”! What a wonderful reminder, right here still in precarious times and still six months from Christmas, that no matter the time of year – we can find joy right in the midst of it all – because our Lord came to bring us His peace and joy all the time.

Maybe you’d like to be a DIY kind-of-gal or guy, too! Take it from me – we don’t really have to feel the peer pressure because God made us all individually with abilities and creative “bents” – you know bent on gardening, bent on cooking, bent on reading, bent on creating, etc. I’m learning to celebrate anyone with those artistic and creative bents.

Maybe, instead of wishing for more talent, more-craftiness, being more creative and artistic, we should be grateful for who God made us to be right here, in this place. We can be grateful AND we can be determined to learn something new. We really have no excuses to wish and pine away because we’re not “all that and a bag of chips”. We can learn something new from a world of YouTube videos that show us just about any and everything we want to do. As a matter of fact, I was watching YouTube videos this week to find out the best bait to use, and how to use it, for catching trout in Red River, NM waters we’re headed to next month! No excuses! No wishing-upon-a-star! No defeatist attitude! We can start by saying “I can do ALL THINGS through Christ Who gives me strength!” (Philippians 4:13) That means WE CAN do ALL THINGS – because we’re BENT on being DIY people that can do all things through Him!

Born to Create

Our Creator continues to inspire me daily. All of His creation is masterful! I'm so proud of Him. I'm like a child when I say, "THAT’S MY DAD!”

Honestly, I cringe when I hear people say: "I'm not creative. I can't cook. I'm not an artist. I’m not a crafty person. I can't sing. I can't sew. I'm not technological. I could never blog like you do. I can’t play an instrument." I continue to be amazed at the talents and abilities of those who activated their creative abilities! Those who realized that with training, studying, practicing and pursuing, are the ones who are doing what we wished we could do. It started with a desire and a dream and they put those desires and dreams to task when they turned their “I can’t” to “I can”!

Case in point….Marco! I met this brilliant and talented master chef last week while in Mexico. His culinary abilities were outstanding and his attention to detail inspired me. Oh, I know we are all busy and it takes time to master a skill as Marco has done, but he took the time to learn and it has served him well around the world.

My 96-year old friend in Tulsa recently took up watercolor painting. She was delighted to show me her works of art displayed all around her room. She followed in her Creator’s handprints and created.

Erwin McManus, author and speaker, says: "God designed you to design; He created you to create; He imagined you to imagine; God dreamed you to dream; When you were born, you were not an ordinary child. Someone made you feel you were ordinary. You are the essence of your Creator. You are the reflection of God, Himself. You are extraordinary. Now it's time to BE the genius He created you to be -- you are both a work of art and an artist at work."

The CREATOR of the universe made us in His image so we have the goods to do WHATEVER we set our heart and mind to do. I, for one, didn’t realize I could write and blog eight years ago, but I let the creative juices that were already in me, placed there by MY Creator flow and I began to write. Here I am, eight years and 1,898 blogs later and I am creating!

Maybe someone convinced you that you are not creative. Someone spoke into your life to make you LESS. And it's time someone spoke into your life to make you MORE. I’m doing that today. I’m encouraging you to create. We are WORKS of ART.....and we are ARTISTS at WORK. Our homes should be like Picasso's attic -- where we are dreaming and imagining and creating. I'm speaking into your life RIGHT NOW and telling you...."Silence the voices. Get out that paint brush.....and start painting! Get out your pen or computer and start writing! Get out your cookbook and start cooking! Take a class. Buy a “How-to” book. BE a Creator!”

You are a Work of Art AND an Artist at Work

I sincerely believe God has a reason for everything -- including the things that He uses as "attention-getters". At the very least, He wants us to be aware that He is with us and He has another object lesson for us to learn from. This photo is of a man that visited our estate sale and right away I noticed his walking stick/cane that he had laid on our cash-out table. It was a work of art – art that was designed, handcrafted and carved by him. He was so pleased to take the credit for his work of art made out of a diamond willow.

I started thinking about all the uses of a walking stick. Sure it facilitates walking, but this man’s walking stick could be used as a defensive AND offensive weapon. It also conceals a knife in the handle. That walking stick acts as a support when he’s going uphill and a brake when he’s going downhill; as a balance when crossing rough terrain, test puddles for depth, and is personalized with his trademark. I was amazed at this work of art.

I cringe when I hear people say: "I'm not creative. I can't cook. I'm not an artist. I can't sing. I can't sew. I don’t do technology!” The fact is those folks will never have those attributes as long as they are proclaiming what they are NOT!

Here’s the truth of the matter. The CREATOR of the universe made YOU and me in His image.....so we have the goods to do WHATEVER we set our hearts and minds to do. Someone may have convinced you that you are not creative. Someone spoke into your life to make you feel LESS capable than you are. And it's time someone spoke into your life to make you MORE. We are WORKS of ART.....and we are ARTISTS at WORK. Our homes should be like Picasso's attic -- where we are dreaming, imagining and creating. I'm speaking into your life RIGHT NOW and telling you...."Silence the voices. Get out that paint brush.....and start painting!"

"God designed you....to design;
He created you....to create;
He imagined you....to imagine;
God dreamed you....to dream;
When you were born, you were not an ordinary child. Someone made you feel you were ordinary. You are the essence of your Creator. You are the reflection of God, Himself. You are extraordinary. Now it's time to BE the genius He created you to be -- you are both a work of art and an artist at work." -- Erwin Raphel McManus

Yes, our God, the Almighty Creator of EVERYTHING is quite capable of making SOMETHING out of nothing and SOMETHING out of us!

Works of the Master Artist; Artists at Work

Loved my Life Group tonight as we talked about our great Creator Who created us with the abilities to CREATE. I asked each one to bring a photo or share something that they "created". I loved it when one of our precious ladies brought a gorgeous quilt she had made for a grandbaby that's on the way -- one quilt among many she made for family, as well as those she's created for her business. She was already a quilter when her husband passed away a couple of years ago, and then just a couple of months later, her home burned to the ground. EVERYTHING she owned -- burned, including her quilting machine and tools. She said, "That's it. I'll never quilt again." Then one day, she said, "I'm not going to stop living. I'll start again!" And with that, she rebuilit her home and started creating again. Yes, she spread her wings, and today she exudes with life and love and liberty of knowing she is on assignment. Have you stopped living? Have you stopped creating? God wants us to break free from those things that stopped the creative juices from flowing. He wants us to spread our wings and fly in freedom to be all He destined us to be -- and to touch many lives while we do. We are works of the Master Artist, and we are Artists at work!