Playful Praise: "Be Still and Know…"

I hope you had a contented and blessed Christmas! I always feel a bit stunned when all of a sudden Christmas is over.


Because I was a school teacher and parent it felt like my new year really started in September, and I would get the thrill of new possibilities as the busyness increased. This year has been different. I didn’t have children to take to school and I didn’t end up teaching much this fall. So now, at the end of the calendar year it seems like an end and new beginnings are just around the corner. I have some art events to look forward to and will be sharing those with you real soon.

A week before Christmas my husband broke his leg and is due to have surgery this week. It’s amazing how an unexpected event like that can instantly delete activities that seemed so important. We had a wonderful Christmas in spite of the injury and are happy both of our daughters are home for this season. Because Keith broke his right leg, and cannot put pressure on it I am the designated driver, caregiver etc. That has certainly slowed our planned activities down. I’m trying to see it as an opportunity to “be still” and appreciate the benefits of the limitations.

We’ve been watching a DVD series, How to Hear God’s Voice, by Mark Virkler. I’ve been encouraged and have found that visualizing myself in the presence of Jesus helps me listen and hear more of what God wants to say to me. Writing and drawing (visual prayer etc) during that time is continuing to be helpful and I can tell some of my insecurities are being replaced by a confidence that God does really love me, and that love is not based on my performance.

About a year ago, when the concept of being still became more important to me I added these pages in my altered prayer book:

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: Merry Christmas!

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: Immanuel, God with us

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: O Christmas Tree

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: Jesus Loves the Children of the World

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: Play Like a Child

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Playful Praise: Inspire with the Spirit of Joy & Gladness

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

more playful praise: come to the comforts of home

Another 2-page spread from my altered prayer book: "COME"

copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

more playful praise of an ordinary woman

Here are a few more pages and prayers from my altered prayer book:

 copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

the playful praise of an ordinary woman

I have an altered prayer book, a work in progress, that I use and add to. The book itself was really too fragile for an altered book but I couldn't resist. My friend Katie rescued it from the throw-away pile at their church library. It was originally a Sunday School lesson book, The Children's Six Minutes by Bruce Wright and I've changed the title for my purposes to: The Playful Praise of an Ordinary Woman. I gessoed over some of the text, glued some pages together and left some of the text as prompts to incorporate into the visual prayers. I draw in pencil first, use a pitt pen, allow it to dry overnight, erase the pencil lines and then paint with Golden fluid acrylics. Here's the cover and one of the pages that includes the prayer written at the end of my last post:

images & text except otherwise quoted copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Finding a light in the darkness

Isn’t it interesting how when you state something like I did in my last entry about being still and peaceful, doubt and discouragement don’t waste any time to come knocking? The night after I wrote that post I couldn’t sleep. This happens more these days and people tell me it’s “that time of life”, it will get better.  But this night felt worse. I laid in bed and began to doubt myself and God’s “working all things together for good”.

I thought I should get up, but had a niggling fear: If I get up and wait for the Lord, what if He just doesn’t show up or I can't hear in the deafening silence and feel utterly alone. After all, God has a lot bigger things to worry about than just my little problems…. There is so much pain and suffering in the world…I know its not all about me. The longer I waited, laying there in the dark, the worse I felt. I told myself that God is with me even when I don’t feel like it, but sometimes we have to step out in faith. So I got up to find light in the darkness.

That day I had decorated the mantle for Christmas, and this year included the Mother of Tenderness icon I painted and candles. In the dark I lit a match, light coming into my darkness. The words “Immanuel, God with us”  “The Light of the World” came to my mind, reminding me that Jesus came into our darkness to transform our lives, our very souls.

The whole atmosphere changed to a soft glow as the candles were lit. Honestly, I didn’t feel any different, but as I waited, working through disappointments and worries, trying to listen, a measure of comfort entered my heart. The faint silver dawn was rising on the horizon outside. The candles were blown out. And I settled into a peaceful nap on the couch until the rest of the household woke up.

"O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, 

give us a sense of your presence, your love, and your strength. 

Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, 

so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, 

living close to you we shall see your hand, 

your purpose, your will through all things.”

 - Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556

images & text except otherwise quoted copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010

Paradigm Shift: a broader view of Prayer

This year I've gone through a paradigm shift that's broadened my view and experience of prayer. Prayer has been a part of my life as long as I can remember, but now I find myself taking time to listen more, being intentional about getting "still", inviting the Holy Spirit to come, seeking illumination, and being more creative through visual prayer and blessings. I long to hear God and sense His presence.

Part of it must be this new season of my life that doesn't include a regular daily scheduled job. Sometimes I feel a bit lost in what I should be doing, struggle with purpose and meaning, or get worried about the finances etc. But I keep coming back to:

"Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10  

I've been the kind of person who writes tasks I've done on my to-do list just so I could cross them off and feel a sense of accomplishment.  I realized much of my self worth was bound to what I did. But that's changing. And it's more peaceful… if I focus my mind on the God who loves me, on Him who came as a little baby, lived to teach us how to live, and died so we might be forgiven and live in the resurrection power of His Holy Spirit.  

images from "turning 50" journal

Valerie Sjodin, copyright 2010

Longing for Illumination

I keep thinking of the word illumine, illumination, illuminated, illuminator, illuminate… to make light, to dispel obscurity, a light shining in the darkness, Inspiration. For me illumination is often accompanied or preceded by longing. So I decided to make the word and/or concept of illumination my theme for December. It seems fitting with the anticipation of Advent, a counterbalance for the darkest days of the year, and most of all the celebration of the birth of the Light of the World.

Spirit of the Living God

warm me with your presence

fill me with your passion

lead me with your light.

All text and images copyright Valerie Sjodin 2010