And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
Through a mission-based partnership with Holy Angels and one of their sponsored business, Bliss Gallery, these works are on exhibition from April 29, 2021 through June 26, 2021. There will be an Opening Reception from 6-8pm on Thursday, April 29 at Bliss Gallery 25 N. Main Street, Belmont, NC.
In addition to my work being featured, Holy Angels residents artistic work will be only display + for sale alongside mine.
For more information or to enquire about purchase, please contact: Harmony Heslop at Biss Gallery: 704-280-4926
]]>2020 SiP Magazine Feature
As summer comes to an end, I can’t help but think of the exciting and unusual season we have all had. This summer, well this year, has been a lot for everyone. But something I am reminded of and so thankful for is home. Our hearts and minds can find such ease at home where our families, spouses, pets, and comfy couches are.
SIP Magazine recently featured my crazy busy home. The candid moments captured are sweet and the staged photos are what it looks like once a year, but it is only complete with the love of our family.
To no one's surprise, something I touch on in the SIP feature is ART! It can be overwhelming to think about your collection (whether it’s big or small), but here are some quick pointers for you to take with you on your art journey.
Buy art that moves you. If you purchase art that makes you happy or brings emotion, you will find a place for it in your home.
Tour galleries, look through design magazines, do online searches, or simply go shopping to see what types of art elicits emotion for you.
Size and scale are important! When buying art for the wall over a sofa consider a piece that is two-thirds the width of the sofa or go even bigger.
If you find a piece of art or photograph you love that is too small for your space, consider framing it in an oversized mat in order to increase the overall visual impact.
Don’t worry about matching the colors of your space instead, look for pieces that you love at first sight, and don’t worry if the colors match with the other pieces in your room!
Don’t think about the art living in just one spot permanently. Buy art when you love it and then just move it around your space.
Thank you so much to designer and article writer, Sidney Wagner, photographer Minette Hand, and SIP Magazine for featuring our home!
]]>If I've learned anything over the last year or so, it is that great strength comes from allowing yourself to be vulnerable. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true. So much growth, connection + strength is nurtured when we admit we don't have all the answers. Wouldn't it be great if we could share the parts we want to hide, receive the love + wisdom of others who have been there + then encourage one another to walk out our new truth? Gentleness + vulnerability is where it's at!
There are too many people being crushed under the burden of pretending they have it all figured out. Have you noticed them hustling to cover up their failures + putting off that bulletproof vibe that no one could penetrate? That doesn't invite connectedness; it repels it. It's so much easier to show our flaws; we find community there.
Even though it's not easy, we can admit we have weaknesses + oh my goodness, we can say "I'm sorry" when we've done something wrong. If not face to face, at least take time to write a meaningful note. It's in that place of surrender that we grow + connect in ways we never, ever dreamed.
I'm a mess on a daily basis + gratefully aware of how vulnerable I am. I know it's only through my Savior I get one single thing right. I gladly beg for his covering grace! I'm more about speaking truth in kindness, having a steady hand with a gentle touch, + letting everyone see the kindness of my heart so we can walk through this world side by side. We all have access to the grace needed to be vulnerable, connected, accepted + loved. This 7-minute video explains it in the most delightful way.
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
-Philippians 4:5
Are you willing to be a little more gentle + vulnerable? I hope you find at least one thing here that encourages you to step into that uncomfortable space that yields so many beautiful rewards.
If you enjoyed the content of this post, I encourage you to signup for my email list where I go even deeper into this soulful journey where you can receive handpicked quotes, inspired artwork + musings, soulful encouragement + exclusive studio updates each month.
]]>My line of note cards is no different. I was + continue to be so compelled by specific passages of scripture that my life has come to revolve around them, + my artwork has followed that same path.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galations 5:22-23
As I meditated over that scripture, several watercolor paintings came pouring out of me, images + symbols that embodied these beautiful Christlike characteristics that I aspire to have. I quickly realized that these images needed to take on another kind of life in my art collection; they were beautiful expressions that needed to be shared + multiplied. And that is how my stationery collection was born.
Each painting is hand-traced + transferred to a linocut printing block. The designs are then carefully carved to leave the symbol exposed so that ink may be applied. I have thoughtfully chosen + mixed colors that I feel represent each design well. Those inks are then applied to the printing block, placed on quality cotton stationery + individually hand-pulled to reveal the colored image. After having time to dry, I sign each one with love + care, making each an original artwork to be gifted with a note inside + then framed.
As the creation of these cards continues, they will come to embody the fruits of the Holy Spirit collectively.
It wasn't all that long ago that I came to a huge realization. I had every earthly comfort you could imagine, I had my health, a home, a family, marriage + friends, but underneath was a profound lack of real + lasting peace. Sure, we had struggles + disappointments + significant losses; it wasn't perfect by any means, but by worldly standards, my life was full + bountiful with seemingly nothing lacking, but there was always a deeper longing within me that could never seem to be fulfilled.
When I think about it, that feeling has been with me for as long as I can remember. I can only describe it as an innate, knowing that my life was meant for something more, that something was coming for me or to me or through me, I just never knew what it was. Over the years, I mistook it for many things: work, marriage, children + while all those things are beautiful blessings, still, that longing remained. Little did I know it was the Lord pressing in on me, never letting me forget that feeling, never letting me be fully satisfied + at peace until I sat with Him face to face + took time to get to know Him. I can tell you, friends, that hollow longing is now gone! In its place is the most profound sense of peace + contentment that I've ever known. I would love nothing more than for you to have that peace too.
Now, I know you're going to think I'm crazy when I tell you this, but I promise it's true. It all started with one simple but clear challenge: Are you making space for what matters most? Because making the most of your life requires knowing + doing the will of God.
A short list of five things followed that statement in a very specific order.
The Five F's of Christian Living:
Faith
Family
Fitness
Finance
Friends
I know, I know, I came up with all the "but what about this” + “what about that" too. And while my list had many of these items, it didn't have them all, + I can promise you they were not in this order!! These challenging words represented the door that opened + urged me to step inside putting God first in my life + beginning a deep, personal relationship with Him. Faith before all else. Everything else flows from there.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8-10
In the world we live in today, there are so many things that demand our attention, + we want to live by mantras like "you can have it all" + "there's nothing you cannot do," but in the end, something is always sacrificed for the other. The truth is you can't actually have it all, + there are some things you cannot do. In fact, thinking we can + should "have it all" leads us away from peace + contentment + into disappointment +ungratefulness. Too often, we betray our core values because we are so caught up in what everyone else is doing or what overwhelming desire we have at the moment. That's why it is so crucial for us to frequently slow down + take a hard, honest look at what we are giving our best selves to + do they really matter the most.
When we do that, we can realign our hearts + minds towards doing things that matter instead of doing "all the things." Then peace + contentment can prevail in our lives; we can experience the joy of doing what matters most.
I hope you enjoyed this post + I pray that your longing for peace + contentment is met, like mine, by taking one small step inside that always open door.
If you found this intriguing + want to know more, visit me online weekly or subscribe to my list to be notified when new posts are available. In the coming weeks, I will be taking a deeper dive into The Five F's + why they are so crucial for peaceful living.
]]>I could be totally off base on this but, I think if you asked almost anyone in my life to describe me you would likely hear them say things like “she’s helpful”, “she’s organized”, “she does what she says”, “she gets things done” and hopefully you would also hear “she’s kind” or “she’s patient” or better yet, “she’s loving”. I would graciously take ANY of those compliments. But what I know about ALL those descriptors is that ultimately I’m an over-achieving people-pleaser who is really good at following to-do lists + directions. Doesn’t sound so flattering from that side, does it? Trust me, I’m working on it!!
I’ve come to realize that I have spent most of my life doing those two things: wanting approval + acceptance from others + following the outline + rules of the world. I reasoned that this was a good path, I thought that I would eventually be satisfied if I just stayed the course. I thought to myself, “I’m a good + giving person, my heart + intentions are in the right place, I’m doing things right”.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:1
It wasn’t until I began revisiting my creativity that I started seeing the trouble with that train of thought. I was so focused on pouring my energy into the world that I had gotten lost from what my own heart was telling me. Because I placed all my hope + expectations in the wrong places, I often felt exhausted, disappointed, sometimes jilted + jaded. I had come to expect my satisfaction would arrive from all my efforts in following the ways of the world + constantly trying to help + please people. Listen, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with helping people or making them happy, I think it becomes wrong when you have expectations tied to it!
By creating + stepping away from my habits + patterns, I slowly opened up space for the Lord to speak, to reveal Himself to me + all I was missing! Little by little, He dripped sweet, lasting truths + satisfaction into my life; showing me where I had gone wrong + all I misunderstood. Now, make no mistake, HE orchestrated me returning to my creativity, I give Him all the glory but, that is a whole other story! He moved me from one place to another, from confusion to clarity, from striving to rest, from dissatisfaction to soul-filling contentment. He did all of that by placing my eyes + heart on Him. He freed me from my prison of pleasing + striving in the world to a warm, inviting haven of simply receiving His love + approval.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” – Colossians 3:23
Can you relate? Are you working + striving + competing for the right things? Are they satisfying you? Many of us spend our entire lives trying to “become”: become successful, become recognized, become needed, become loved, become more…but, the lucky ones, the ones who seek true enlightenment, find out there is so much more beyond “becoming”. They find out that Jesus is the only source of lasting contentment + satisfaction. He is the only one that deserves all our efforts to please. He is our model for “becoming”. He is more!
]]>Every year, I spend 9 months leading a group of women through a spiritual mentoring program. It is a time of intense introspection, radical transformation + one of the greatest blessings I have ever had the privilege of experiencing!
I have started a lovely library with some invaluable resources that I am compelled to share with you. Perhaps they will bring you as much growth + enlightenment as they did me. If you ever want to chat about them, I would just love it!
My entire mentoring library can be found here along with some other really great finds.
]]>I wish I had a better way to describe what 2018 looked like for me other than The Year of Tears. Let me also quickly tell you that it was THE MOST beautiful year + I would gladly shed every one of those tears again + again. This blessed year was all about being remolded, remade + renewed in the most divine ways + that evolution created tears, lots of them! They have been the most soul-nourishing tears I have ever shed!
Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
It’s very difficult to pinpoint exactly when this transformational period really took root. Initially, it started in the summer of 2017 with my oldest son, Nate, telling us he didn’t want to miss church anymore. You see, we were just casual church-goers, well-intended but non-committal as all get out! Later that Fall, after regularly attending each week as a family, my emotions really began to stir during worship + I was increasingly moved by the carefully crafted message my pastor delivered each week. I had been to church hundreds of times in the past, I had felt very emotionally moved at times, but this was more, this was different. I was changing, it was a slow change but, an opening was being created. Then, one night in October, I ended up at a church event that changed my heart + life forever.
My mom had invited me to countless numbers of these events + each + every one, I declined. I can’t explain to you why I ended up at this one. All I can tell you is I felt like I was supposed to be there + so I went. The event was called Adorned: Living Dressed by the Gospel + the guest speaker was Leslie Bennett of Revive Our Hearts. I’d be lying if I told you I had any idea what the event was about or who the guest speaker was before that evening. I was embarrassingly oblivious + awkward as I entered that space yet, I was greeted with warmness, love + acceptance. Leslie preached beautifully about traits that mark us as members of God’s family + encouraged us to run a race towards a life that matters + I was fully engaged. One point of the message that simply would not leave me was about learning to sit before the Lord. They showed a video of women from our church who were learning to do that. It left me crying in a room full of strangers + realizing that God had finally chased me down!
That same evening, I signed up to join a group called Titus2 Mentoring Women. This first step set in motion what I now lovingly call “The Year of Tears”. It has been a time of complete surrender + enlightenment; an unfolding of my soul that has grown me more than any other experience in my entire 47 years. It allowed me to receive the greatest, most fulfilling gift you can ever hope for + compelled me to live a life fully laid out for Christ.
Looking back, I realize that He carefully + specifically pulled me away from the world. There were so many nuances + changes that were so clearly moving me towards Him. He used my son in His beautiful plan because He knew that is what it would take for me. He called me to a place where my eyes + ears could be opened to Him + He used every single opportunity there to show me what I had been overlooking. And He did that all while soothing me, beginning His restoration of me + showing me with the kindest heart how I had been failing Him, myself, my family + the world!
I want to share that journey with you, a joyful reaping of many tears sown. I hope by doing so, I can encourage, inspire + nourish the souls of women who, like me, are longing for a simple, significantly illuminated life full of joy, peace, freedom, passion + love!
Are you one of those women? Do you need the encouragement of a humbled + grateful woman walking beside you? Do you need to hear about how significant your life is + how your very best life is at the center of God’s plan? If so, let's share a soulful journey as I reflect on all God revealed to me throughout my Year of Tears + beyond.
Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina made me astutely aware of nature + the beauty of all Creation. I have now lived on the coast almost as long as I lived there + I would be hard-pressed to choose between the two!! Luckily, I am still able to spend time in both these beautiful + majestic landscapes! Both places, among many others, speak directly into the inspiration for my work which brings us to my most recent release of the Sullivan’s Summer Collection.
I’m partial of course, but the Carolinas (both North + South) have some pretty amazing scenery to choose from for inspiration + exploration. Now, living on a tiny barrier island off the coast of South Carolina, I’m as enthralled by the Lowcountry as I am by the mountains. Although I love the beach front, the lush green marsh + high tides as evening approaches are my MOST favorite + inspirational scenes. The way everything seems to recognize that nightfall is approaching + slows its heartbeat to match the pace of the sunset. When all the animals seem to be taking one final relaxing glance around just to bask in the beauty of their home. And the breeze gently pushes the last breath of warm air against every living thing. THAT is the moment that melts me; so much serenity + harmony in those few short moments that it always overwhelms me! Everything seems so perfectly timed + simple + carefree.
Moments like those remind me of riding NC country roads with my Dad on Saturday mornings, his arm hung out the window, my feet on the dash + hair flapping in the wind, having just made a stop at the Ice Service Store for a Peppermint Pattie + hearing the radio stations signature tune, “Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the Morning!” As a kid, this was a ritual of pleasure + simplicity in a meager lifestyle that felt like an indulgence; much like viewing the marsh at sunset. It makes me wonder if it’s the scenery + landscape that brings the inspiration or if it’s the memories we associate to those moments that elicits it. Either way, I never tire of those fleeting moments when all seems perfectly right in the world!
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hands is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
These are the things that brought forth Sullivan’s Summer. An attempt to capture those feelings + moments of a summer spent simply seeking the beauty of the Lowcountry coast.
Oh, by the way, the stunning image above of our island town taken by fellow artist Jason Ogden of Station 28.5 Photography, captured all the colors that make that moment so special. From there, I tweaked the colors for my palette to my liking. You can see part of my process below + more of Jason’s imagery here.
]]>In February, I had my first showing with my partners at Straight To Art at The Schoolhouse in West Ashley. I debuted my Surrender series that evening + it was warmly received. I was overwhelmed at how many of you came out to to the newly renovated venue + showed such loving support of me + my work. What an amazingly successful evening shared with friends! Thank you!!!
Since then, I’ve attended about a bazillion youth basketball games + tournaments, joined friends at multiple Titus 2 Women’s Mentoring meetings + weekend retreat, had a studio photo shoot, recorded a short film + accompanying blog interview, completed several commissions, had a MRI to diagnose a tennis injury to my back + resulting PT appointments, traveled with my family out of the country, visited family out of state, went on 2 fly-fishing expeditions, saw a couple of concerts, celebrated Mother’s Day, participated in 2 other art shows + basically tried to keep my head above water!!! Whew! I knew it was a lot, but writing it down always makes things more clear + manageable for me. Soooooo, I’m already starting to feel better about missing my deadline!!
One of the more exciting things that has developed over the last couple of months is my new professional affiliation with Minted an online marketplace of independent artists + designers. Last November, I entered one of their design challenges + 2 of my submitted works were chosen as winners + 1 of them has already been offered for sale in their brand new Wall Murals collection. Each of them will soon be offered as Large Scale Reproductions in sizes up to 48″ x 70″ and in multiple colorways! How exciting, right??!! I honestly was shocked + humbled to be chosen out of the almost 6000 submissions! I also want to say “Thank You!” for all the amazing support + encouragement that each of you gave to me as this challenge unfolded; it made all the difference in the world! I am hopeful + excited to see what new opportunities this will bring! I will be sure to update you as soon as these products go “live” on my Artist Store on Minted’s website I’d love for you to take a sneak peek on the progress + become one of my “Fans” there!
In my family life, both of my boys closed out their school years with much anticipation + relief. Noah is excited to have graduated from elementary school this year + for the changes that will come as a middle-schooler. Nate showed incredible stamina + dedication, closing out his 7th grade year as an all A Honors student + I couldn’t be more proud of both of them! I never dreamed the amount of joy, worry, pride + honor that would come with raising two boys but I’m so grateful to be called their mom. Darrell + I vie for every opportunity to spend time with them while they are still willing, while each running our own businesses + squeezing in as much music + fishing as possible.
My personal spiritual journey has been profound to say the least. It has taken me to some of the highest highs + presented challenges for change. Any major transformation comes with both victory + adversity and I know that this just means He is working on me + for me! Sometimes our weakness, along with our strengths, need to be exposed so that we can grow, become fruitful + strengthen our resolve. I am willing to weather any storm for that soul-filling satisfaction that only He can provide.
xoxo, Michelle]]>“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
-James 1:2-4
I have this Love-Hate relationship with Fall (for those of you reading this who don’t live in the Lowcountry, we only have two real seasons here: Summer + Fall). Fall truly is my favorite time of year. I love it because I’m usually ready for the blazing, stagnant humidity of Summer to be over. I love it because football starts + I can pull out my denim (my permanent uniform) + then, my birthday is in the Fall followed by Thanksgiving + Christmas; who doesn’t love a celebration!?! I also love it because school starts + oddly enough, I love a schedule + always loved school! It’s this interesting time when new beginnings are taking shape + endings are simultaneously happening, reminding us that nothing ever stays the same. This brings me to the hate portion: the sun starts leaving us earlier each day, the beautiful green marsh grass goes dormant + the leaves flurry from the trees. It’s a signal, a craving for a good book, an easy chair + patience for the next change. A time for reflection + giving thanks.
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
While I tend to be inside more often in the Fall, it allows me more time for nesting + getting my household in order + making things cozy + welcoming. I love this chance to clean + purge + make way for only the things that bring me joy + comfort. This state of mind brought me inspiration for my most recent collection. I decided to call it Making Space. For me, “making space” is usually about getting things in order, planning + scheduling. It means blocking off time for things that matter most + that takes prioritizing them in our lives + putting them in their places, so to speak. We all have to do the obligatory stuff: work, school, appointments, etc. but I always try to make space for spiritual growth, my marriage, my kids, my friends, sports, travel and, of course, my art. I hope you can see + feel that energy when you view this + perhaps it will inspire you into “Making Space” for the things you hold dear!
xoxo, Michelle]]>Summer is so sweet! The freedom that comes with no hard + fast schedule, no school, no bedtime + seeking out new adventures + then, adventures that somehow find you. The ability to drift from place to place + soak up all the bits + pieces of goodness you find when you step outside your usual domain. That is the good stuff. That is how I have spent this summer, the first in many years that I actually feel like I was fully present and took it all in.
Many of you who are familiar with me + my family know that we are abundant with love + blessings but there have also been trying times over the past decade or so for us. Big, hard, trying times about things that REALLY MATTER in life. Life + death + faith + love + moments when you question everything but we, by God’s hand, gratefully came through it stronger but certainly changed + possibly a little “worse for the wear”. Things that most everyone in life has to deal with at some point but they certainly came one after another for us, we felt. They are the moments you’re taught you have virtually no control in this life. But they brought us to where we are today + that is the sour that makes the sweet taste so good! That is why this summer, we chose to wander + drift + seek out fulfilling moments without much concern of the past or the future. We recognized the opportunity was there + that we should digress, depart…..Drift!
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
I try to practice gratitude on a daily basis but traveling, drifting, the freedom of this summer particularly, has awakened an intense sense of gratitude in me; an awe of this beautiful world we are surrounded by + made me feel like a kid again. I’m suddenly uber-aware of everything around me: every sight, every sound, every feeling. It reminds me of waking up from a long nap + wondering how long you slept for; that sudden awareness of self + time + place that makes you jolt up + take action.
Following my passion for making art has allowed that gratitude practice to become easier + easier as well. The process allows me to express all the feelings I’m having + a way to translate the experiences in my life. It also allows me to create something that, hopefully, brings hope + happiness to whoever sees it. I feel like I have always seen the beauty in everyday things but now, as I watch my children grow + my marriage grows, + my faith grows, I sometimes feel like I can’t take it all in; there isn’t enough space or time for me to process the blessings in my life + fully recognize the importance of every moment we are given.
I found myself wishing that I could paint all day so I could tell every story + record them in art for my future failed memory. But, after a summer of “drifting”, I realize that’s where the inspiration starts + we have to feel overwhelmed with emotion to take action. We have to take it in phases. You have to have the experience, digest it + then reflect on it. It’s the times when we get out of our comfort zones, alter our usual schedules, leave the places we are familiar with + seek out new experiences (and sometimes revisit old ones), that fill us up so full that we are overflowing. Overflowing with love + hope + gratitude + faith + passion + energy!!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
So, that is at the heart of what I have created this time. A commemoration of a beautiful, bright, energetic summer that was so rewarding + eye opening. I am calling this collection Drift for all the places it took me: physically, mentally + spiritually.
Please take a look. I hope you find it pleasing! And if you do, please share it with someone else!!
xoxo, MichelleIt’s amazing really, what happens, when you suddenly realize what your soul has been yearning for. And I mean beyond the love of God, husband, family + friends (the most important things in this world to me). I mean that “thing” that really makes you feel whole as an individual; makes you feel like your doing what you were put here to do. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that “thing” has to be some monumental, ground-breaking, revolutionary giant. I’m just saying, it’s what makes you feel good, what makes you feel worthy, what makes you want to accomplish something in a day.
I’ve been looking for that “thing” for as long as I can remember, maybe my whole life. I’ve discussed it with my husband a thousand times. I’ve cried + laughed + prayed with friends over too many cocktails about it. I’ve read books, attended classes, made lists, took quizzes, questioned people about what they do that fulfills them; searched endlessly for the ever elusive “thing”. Different things took it’s shape during certain times in my life. It was once being a “student” + then it was just being “employed” + then it was being “accomplished” + then it was being “a wife” + then a “mother”….the list goes on & on for many of us. And all during that time, while I was perfectly content (for the most part) + very happy (usually), I knew there was still something missing. It’s like the words stuck in the back of your throat during a hard conversation that you just can’t seem to get out; they’re there + it’s physically uncomfortable but no matter what happens, they never seem to cross your lips.
This “thing” came to me gently, quietly + almost covertly. It was as if I had to put in my years of yearning before it could be seen by me. Previously, it wasn’t the time or maybe, it wasn’t the work for me at that moment in time. This is what I call the good old-fashioned work, will + timing of God.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
It came in a moment + a thousand little moments. One moment I am so gracious to have been given. A moment where, for a few days, my mind was still + clear + free to see what had been with me all along. A part of me that had been swept aside for bigger tasks, more important roles, less selfish indulgences. Trust me, it’s super hard to make way for something that you feel like only benefits yourself in some ways; hard to to just give yourself what it is you need when you feel like the whole world is watching. But, what I’ve come to realize now that I’m in my 40’s (well into them!) is that if we turn loose of everything that makes us “us”, if we get caught in the hustle of life + never make time for the things that feed our souls, well, we just live in a shadow + we wilt + we crave water + we long to bloom but we never do. I’ve also come to realize that I’m much happier watering my own grass than waiting for someone else to do it. And, finally, I’ve come to realize that we are capable of doing anything we want to do if we give ourselves permission to stop caring about how we will be perceived or received + just forge ahead with that “thing” that makes your heart sing!!
So, that’s what brought me here. This place where I challenged myself to set a goal + reach it. Make myself uncomfortable + a little scared. Share with you a part of me that most people never knew was there. My new collection called “Dreaming” is available now in my Shop.
If you’re compelled, take a look.
If you like it, I’d love to know.
If you love it, please share it.
As a dear friend of mine always says, “Just Keep Livin’!
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My name is Michelle Owenby. I am a child of God. Lover of the stars, the seas + the mountains. A wife. A mother. A daughter. A friend. A Southerner. A student of all that intrigues me. A traveler. A muser. A singer of songs. A seeker of truth + knowledge. An artist. A writer. A mentor.
A recent spiritual revelation brought forth a whole new direction to my life; it awakened the parts of me that had been lulled to sleep since my childhood. This has ignited a fire in me that is involuntarily expressed through my writing, my artistic work, spiritual mentoring + The Lovely Crux community. The Lord put new purpose, passion + meaning in my life that I simply can't help but respond in gratitude + awe. Any lovely thing that comes from me is only because of His great grace + creativeness!
My hope is that my work may somehow bring a smile, soothe a heart, evoke emotion + reveal the loveliness around us all if we just squint our eyes a tiny bit.
Does your hopeful soul need inspiration + encouragement? Are you longing for a simple + significantly illuminated life? Would you like to awaken + experience joy, peace, freedom, passion + love in tangible ways?
I want to share something with you: I was that woman - I still am that woman! I’ve been on a journey towards those things + I want to share that with you.
It is my hope, by sharing in this journey, your life is transformed to reveal or remind you of your significance in Christ. I want your longing heart and hopeful soul to see the beauty of a surrendered + soulful life. Let’s go there. Together.