I feel like I may be the last person to jump on this bandwagon, but have you all checked out 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs? This was on the top of my book wish list for 2019, and just over two weeks into this devotional, it has me taking a deep look at myself, my beliefs, and the way I am going through this life. It is a fantastic, easy read that really does hit home in so many ways. And, based on the reviews that I’ve read, I’m not the only one who is loving this book.
Each day, Annie uses scripture to have us take a look at an aspect of being brave, or traits that lead to being brave. For me, day 15 was amazingly convicting. It is titled “Ask the Hard Questions”, and has us reflecting on Jeremiah 33:3.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” -Jeremiah 33:3
Have you ever been afraid to ask God a question? Or more importantly, have you avoided asking the question because you are afraid of what the answer might be? That’s where I find myself these days with a few questions pressing on my heart. The biggest of which is “What do I do next?” My twin boys will start kindergarten in the fall, and with my daughter going into the 3rd grade, all my kids will be going to school full time. The plan was always for me to go back to work when the kids were in school, but now that it is here, it feels like an enormous weight. Do I go back to what I was doing before? Do I start my own business? Do I get a part-time job as a transition? Do I take an extra year to think about it and make sure I know what I want to do? Do I devote myself to volunteering and just trust that the financial part will work itself out? There are so many questions in my head, and I’ve been afraid to pray over any of them, thinking it’d be best if I just figure it out on my own. Not my smartest move, but I am grateful for this devotion that reminded me that God promises answers to all of our questions if we will just ask!
The irony of facing a blank page was not lost on me as I began this journaling entry. A blank page was the perfect starting point to pray for answers for the next chapter of my life. The main elementS I wanted to feature on this entry were butterflies, as symbols of a “new thing” that God would be leading me to in the next year. I used butterflies that I cut out from the Maggie Holmes “Flourish” collection and placed them around the page. I also grabbed the “Spirit Lead Me” die-cut from Illustrated Faith’s “All Nations” collection to serve as the main title for my page.
My favorite watercolors these days are this set of metallic watercolors from Prima. The colors are gorgeous for spring (which I am hoping will be here any day now) and anything with sparkle will always capture my attention. I decided to create a feeling of wind by using various colors to paint a path across the page. Winds of change came to mind as I laid down color after color, choosing the tones that I found in the butterfly pieces. I also added a few paint splatters here and there to spread the color around the page more.
After I finished the background watercolor, I adhered the elements on the page, and decided they could use a bit of metallic embellishment as well. Using the same watercolor set, I added bits of metallic to each butterfly, bringing their features to life!
Have you grabbed 100 Days to Brave yet? What hard questions have you been afraid to ask? Let me know if you have read this book in the comments below!
Keep it creative,
-The Scrappy Wife