Amidst the super cute, heart-shaped posts and the irresistably pinnable pink and red vignettes floating around the interwebs, I'd like to offer a DIY to break you into... Lent. For those of you who may be confused, this year Lent (the season leading up to Easter) began yesterday with Ash Wednesday and will continue for the next forty days. It's a time of reflection and growth, where we reserve our Alleluias and songs of praise, and focus inward on the change within ourselves. So why not have a DIY to accompany it?

Tell me you've seen this technique on Pinterest... The one where you use a canvas painting and adhere text, like vinyl lettering over top of it, paint over the entire surface to then remove the vinyl letters and reveal the great quote constructed from the colors and strokes of the painting underneath? Yes? No?

So that one got me thinking... how about a little Lenten project?

Here's what you need (or what we used): 8 x 10 canvas, assortment of your favorite paint colors plus black, brushes, vinyl letters.

My daughters were d-lighted to be involved with this one. I asked each girl to paint one half (diagonally for interest) in five of their favorite colors. As we brushed on the brilliant and quiet tones, we talked about our blessings, many of which the girls represented in their pictures. After the paint was definitely (ack, so much patience required) dry, we added the vinyl lettering, careful to place each one squarely in place.

Before adding a black layer over the entire top surface, I used a pen to press down the letter edges to be sure no sneaky paint would leak underneath. Here's our creation, full of color and blessings.

Time to cover up the Alleluias and keep them in waiting until Easter. Check out the cool texture that's revealed.

And then it's all covered.

So.. in another 39 days, I can give you the grand reveal.

Wait, wha? Seriously? A DIY cliffhanger. Here's what we'll have on our table throughout Lent, reminding us of all that we've been given and reminding us to let our goodness shine through the darkness.

The final product will be reposted here on Easter. Happy Lent!

xoxo, MJ

Spending the day counting...

XOXO, MJ

Today's post is an addition to the Turn It series and a beautiful bonus from my friend, Paige. Check her out over at Approaching Joy, but not yet...cause you gotta read this first!Isn't the natural world awesome?

I mean if it were my job to make apples, I'm pretty sure I would have been impressed with a Red Delicious and would have stopped there. 

But Nature?  Not a chance.  

Granny Smith, Gala, Jonathan…Nature knows that when it comes to apples (and most everything else) variety, options, something that differs from the rest is a good thing.  

I think it's the same with our own blessings and the things which we count under "things to be thankful for" column.  It's easy to see the good things and be thankful for them - super supportive friends, a loving family, a home that is comfortable and warm. These things are the obvious blessings of the "Red Delicious" variety.  

It's the other things that aren't easy to see as blessings.  Stressful Mondays, mortgage payments, traffic jams, crying kids… these all just seem like the low points of life.  But when you take a second and step back, you realize that these are simply Granny Smith blessings.  

The stressful Mondays mean you are healthy and productive.  

The mortgage payments mean you have a roof over your head.

The traffic jams mean your family wasn't involved in the wreck ahead.

The crying kids mean you were blessed with little ones.

So many people don't have these things to be thankful for.

So next time you're sitting in traffic, writing that check, or wiping those tears, remember that this distinctly tart variety of blessing makes you appreciate the sweeter blessings more fully.

Thank you for your words of perspective, Paige!! Those tart blessings are right there for us to discover if we just turn our perspective a bit. So good!!

XO, Paige and MJ

Thank you.

Amen.

XO, MJ