1/31/12

Father, Glorify Thy Name

"Now is my soul troubled
And what shall I say?
Father, from this hour save me,
But for this cause I came.
Father, glorify thy name."

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

Mary poured ointment out.
"Let her alone," he said,
"The poor ye always have
But me ye have not always.
Father, glorify your name"

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

"We would see Jesus,"
Some Greeks among them said.
"The hour is come that the
Son of man be glorified.
Father, glorify thy name."

"Verily I say to you,
If a corn of wheat shall fall down
And if it dieth in the ground
It  bringeth forth much fruit.
Father, glorify thy name"

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

 "I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

"This voice came not for me
But for your sakes.
Now is the judgement of this world,
And the prince shall be cast out.
Father, glorify thy name."

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

"And if I be lifted up,
I will draw all men to me."
The people wondered, "How sayest thou?
For Christ shall live forever and not die!"
"Father.  Glorify thy name."

"Walk while you have the light,
Lest darkness come on you;"
Jesus intreateth his dear creation,
"For he in darkness knoweth not where he goes.
Father, glorify thy name."

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

"Oh! Believe on me!
And look on me!
Oh, receive my words
That you might be received.
Father, glorify thy name."

"I have both glorified it
And will glorify again"

Lord, I hear your pleas
Of deep agony.
I receive your words of life.
I thank God that you would die for me.
Lord, I glorify your name!
Help me glorify your name.


As I read the 12th chapter of St. John, I could hear the urgency in Jesus' voice. His compassion for the people and his burden for their souls moved me. His love for the world and his desire that God's name be glorified, led him to the cross.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/23/12

Learn


Or put it this way:  He that refuses correction despises his own soul; but he that listens to reproof gains understanding.

1/19/12

A Poet's Birthday

The Bells c1845 
Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)
I

Hear the sledges with the bells -
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.


II

Hear the mellow wedding bells -
Golden bells!
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight! -
From the molten - golden notes,
And all in tune,
What a liquid ditty floats
To the turtle - dove that listens, while she gloats
On the moon!
Oh, from out the sounding cells,
What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!
How it swells!
How it dwells
On the Future! - how it tells
Of the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
Of the bells, bells, bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!


III

Hear the loud alarum bells -
Brazen bells!
What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!
In the startled ear of night
How they scream out their affright!
Too much horrified to speak,
They can only shriek, shriek,
Out of tune,
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire,
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,
Leaping higher, higher, higher,
With a desperate desire,
And a resolute endeavor
Now - now to sit, or never,
By the side of the pale - faced moon.
Oh, the bells, bells, bells!
What a tale their terror tells
Of Despair!
How they clang, and clash and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
Yet the ear, it fully knows,
By the twanging,
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows;
Yet the ear distinctly tells,
In the jangling,
And the wrangling,
How the danger sinks and swells,
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells -
Of the bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
In the clamor and the clanging of the bells!


IV

Hear the tolling of the bells -
Iron bells!
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!
In the silence of the night,
How we shiver with affright
At the melancholy menace of their tone!
For every sound that floats
From the rust within their throats
Is a groan.
And the people - ah, the people -
They that dwell up in the steeple,
All alone,
And who, tolling, tolling, tolling,
In that muffled monotone,
Feel a glory in so rolling
On the human heart a stone -
They are neither man nor woman -
They are neither brute nor human -
They are Ghouls: -
And their king it is who tolls: -
And he rolls, rolls, rolls,
Rolls
A paean from the bells!
And his merry bosom swells
With the paean of the bells!
And he dances, and he yells;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the paean of the bells: -
Of the bells:
Keeping time, time, time
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the throbbing of the bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells: -
To the sobbing of the bells: -
Keeping time, time, time,
As he knells, knells, knells,
In a happy Runic rhyme,
To the rolling of the bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells -
To the tolling of the bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells, -
To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.
This poem has such a natural rhythm!  He uses repetition and rhyme often in this poem to create a pace and a mood for each stanza/section.  I love how he captures the personality of bells and creates vivid imagery for each occasion.  I love this poem.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/18/12

Back to School

The boulder fountain froze over and made some pretty ice pebbles.







Lunch break at the creek. 







It's good to be back in school and working in the studio.  I am already feeling like my skills will be challenged, but I suppose challenge is my best teacher--so let the learning begin!

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/17/12

Obedience and Wisdom

In reading the first few chapters of Joshua, I begin to see the difference between two stories.  In chapter seven, the disobedience of on man (Achan) brought a curse on all the Israelites.  God was not with them in their next battle, and many lost their lives as they fled from their enemies.  The ninth chapter tells about the Hivites and their deceptive plot.  The people of Israel did not seek God’s council and made a mistake they regretted later.  Though the Israelites had to deal with the natural consequences of their decision, God did not punish them as he did at Ai.  Instead, he worked two very great miracles in their favor.  When the Hivites—because of the league—called for help against five kings that warred against them, God told Joshua not to fear.  God was definitely with the Israelites that day and sent hailstones that killed more than the Israelites did with the sword.  The greatest miracle was when he held the sun still and it did not set for the length of a day.
It encourages me to know that God will still be with me even when I make an unwise decision.  His plan for me is one of victory, and he will be with me if I obey him.  There are, however, great benefits to seeking the Lord in my every-day decision and even more so in my big life decisions.  He has infinite wisdom, and cannot be deceived.  People can trick us, and circumstances can mislead us, but God can help us make the right decision.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/15/12

The Brown Mug


School starts Tuesday, and I’m so excited!  I wonder what new skills and knowledge I will learn this semester.  For now, though, I will share something from last semester.

I think this is the first cup I threw—well, the first successful cup.  I went a little fancy on the handle and curled it up.  By the way, I had fun pulling handles.  I set myself up in my own room with a gallon bucket of water and a lump of clay.  (I can’t figure out how to explain the process, so just look it up on YouTube if you are really curious).  A mold I had made worked great to add three little roses in a cluster.   I used a rubber stamp to add some delicate swirls to the rim and handle.  After it was bisque fired, I painted the swirls with white under-glaze, the roses with pink, the base with white and pink, and the main body with browns.  With a clear glaze on top of that all, it is food safe!  (Safe to drink your favorite hot drink)

More ceramic posts to come…


Blessings,
Alyssa


1/12/12

I Dream of Sewing

My mom has been trying to teach me to sew since I was young.  She, herself, is a wonderful seamstress.  I personally like the liberty of being able to make my own clothes, though I don’t get it done very often.  It seems as if I do more dreaming than I do stitching.  In fact, I have a whole basket of dreams.  If I am diligent (and blog quickly), maybe I can get my room project done (I am rearranging and organizing to make room for a little studio), and then I can at least cut out one of my projects before I head back to school.




I have an 80’s pattern that looks delicious!  I envisioned a Nancy Drew khaki with black and white damask accents.

 Then, there is this vintage knit dress that I want to lengthen with polka-dots and add a polka-dot belt.


I’m hoping to turn this lovely green fabric into my first maxi dress.  It makes me look forward to spring!

With the red, I am planning on sewing up a dressy top—it would be a nice addition to my wardrobe.

This is some cute printed knit with which I want to make a casual summer top.  I think I would love it.

Occasionally, my dreams do come true.  I loved the Route 66 skirt over at Marie-Madeline Studio.  In looking for a similar pattern I discovered a retro pattern that I decided to try.  It's not quite the Route 66 skirt (I'm still dying over their denim skirt), and the panels are a little wider than I envisioned, but I like it.  I sewed it awhile ago, but now it is in my to-do list again because I think it could stand to loose a few inches on the sides so that the waist band doesn't bunch up so much when I tie the belt.



The project top on my list, however, is a dark purple dress.  I thought I would try out a princess style on this one.

Sigh.  I must make time for sewing.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/9/12

Drawing With Ink

I love these note cards, mostly because I like the style.  I really like artists that draw with ink and then add a little warm color with water color.  Oranges and yellows look really good.  There is also a nice relaxed brush stroke in these that I would like to capture, so I pulled out my watercolors and ink and gave it a try...but it will take a little practice I think.  My ink kept on either being too much or too little. :/  Anyway, it was fun to experiment with a different style.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/7/12

Buntings

Thanks to the amazing Pintrest, I am now hooked on typography, doilies, salted caramel, and now buntings!

I found some made out of maps…

…lace

...doilies

…music paper

...fabric


…scrapbook paper

And on cakes…

…cards

…and cosmetic bags

But I can imagine book page buntings, painted magazine page buntings, calendar page buntings, felt buntings, last year's Christmas card buntings, and even cardboard buntings.  I can also imagine them dressing up a tote, a baby onsie, baby blanket, or a journal.  They are so cute for party decorations.  I can’t wait for a chance to make one myself!  I am definitely going to have one in my studio corner when I get it done.

Blessings,
Alyssa

1/6/12

Spring Thoughts in January


The clear blue skies first inspired me to get the camera.  I happened to catch a plane in this shot.





We enjoyed the sunny weather.









Afterward, I enjoyed some editing in Paint.net with some textures from ShadowHouseCreations.  Perhaps I go a little overboard on the textures, but it is such a new exciting thing for me, I can't help it.

Blessing,
Alyssa

Zacchæus


“…which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.”  We know why he was rich: he took money that was not his.  His sins made him rich.  Why, if he was so rich, would he seek Jesus?  Temporal success is not happiness nor does it produce independence from God.  Perhaps he had been unhappy and dissatisfied for a long time, and something about Jesus must have given this man hope because he “sought to see Jesus who he was.”   Whether or not it began as a casual curiosity, it proved to be a strong desire.  I say it was a strong desire because he faced a difficulty (the crowd vs. his height) and was not deterred.  He was determined to see Jesus, so he took action.  He ran ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree.  Just curiosity?  Maybe, but it was his salvation.  When Jesus came by, it says that he “looked up and saw him.”  He had seen him before that.  Jesus saw him when he was hidden by the crowd, when he ran ahead, and while he waited in the tree.  Jesus had seen him each time he took money unjustly from any man.  He also saw his desire, and so he said, “Come down, for today I must abide at thy home.”  I can just imagine how quickly Zacchæus scrambled back down that tree, and with what joyfulness he began his plans of restoration.  His riches now meant nothing to him because he had found salvation.  This whole scene was something the self-righteous crowd could not understand, and they wondered why Jesus would want to be a guest at a sinner’s house.  Are any of us really worthy of God’s salvation?  Nevertheless, Jesus desires that everyone would seek him as diligently and receive him as joyfully as ol’ sinful Zacchæus.

Blessings,
Alyssa