Christmastime

In the season of Christmas we have an assumption that Christmastime is supposed to be the most wonderful (and happiest) time of the year. As I get older and more aware and connected to tragedy and pain surrounding me, I find myself frustrated and a bit angry. Somewhat like a customer at a white tablecloth restaurant that is disappointed in the service I am receiving. "Let me see the manager! My food isn't hot, and the air conditioning is turned up too high. I didn't order this, and you aren't fast enough at bringing me what I'm asking for." Do I treat God like this? 
Well...I guess I sometimes do. "God, it's Christmas and this isn't supposed to be happening! Why Lord would this precious family lose their loved one right before Christmas?  Where are you God? Are you paying attention?"
Wait...God isn't like the manager of a restaurant that is in the kitchen unaware that his customers are uncomfortable. 
He is the God of the universe. He is The King of Kings, Lord of Lords AND he is Jesus, lover of our souls!

"Christmastime" is an overblown, overworked, overdone, over stressful time of the year. Yep. I said it. It kinda stinks. There is stress with work, family,  and buying gifts for kids that really don't lack for anything. It's excessive. It feels Less like Christmas and more like this "Christmastime" that we have created. 

This year, our town has witnessed a lot of pain, sickness and loss.  I want to stomp my foot and say "This isn't fair, God! It's not supposed to be like this!" The truth of the matter is that it IS supposed to be like this. It is promised:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

When king Herod found out that he had been tricked by the wise men, he had his men murder every child that was born around the same time as Jesus (Matthew 2:16). This is in the Christmas story! Our nativities that we set on our mantles don't necessarily depict the seriousness of what took place. Mary was young and probably frightened to give birth in a barn or cave among filthy conditions. Joseph had to have been somewhat freaked out about the whole thing. For those of us that have given birth, can you imagine?

I feel sure that it was a holy experience (despite the conditions), as mary looked upon the face of her child, The King!

    

The message of Christmas created by Hollywood films feed into our expectations of it being such a wonderful life. Let's drink egg nog, hang the stockings and toast to our lives of perfection and ease. The true message of Christmas is that the world is in pain, and in need of a Savior! Jesus, the only perfect lamb, came to experience pain, loss, ridicule and death bearing our sin on a cross. To take our punishment for us. 

"..we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-4

Please don't see this as a Debbie Downer post. It's quite the opposite!

Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

We have hope! The suffering around us should drive us into the arms of the Lord!

So I am going to change my method of operation. Instead of frustration, sadness and disappointment overtaking me, I want to run into the arms of my Savior. He knows our pain and holds every tear in his hands. 

I pray that this Christmastime will be spent celebrating Christmas (as soon as I finish doing all the things I need to do).  Help me, Lord Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Liz

 

Reed's Parade

About 4 weeks ago, I posted this on Facebook:

 Today I was thinking that I wanted to paint something that has inspired me in the past. WELL, watching Homewood march in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena California, was a thrill. Seeing our hometown represented in such a cool way was awesome. But honestly, the best part of it was seeing this kid, Reed, playing the drum with the kind of pride that stings your eyes. I know I am obnoxious about how much I love Homewood. But really, this is the stuff! Since then, we've watched Reed lead the drum line with such joy and charisma. He mostly uses his walker (My daughter wanted me to mention). But this day, his band mate pushed him in his wheelchair. 

After posting this little painting, the response was overwhelming! 

It seems that everyone has been inspired by Reed. Reed is a triplet (which I did not know). His parents are believers (didn't know that either). Here was her response to the painting: 

So, of COURSE Lindsay has the painting!

Here is the photo that the painting was painted from:

The girl pushing Reed, did so for SIX MILES that day! Talk about selfless! Her name is Markeyla. 

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10

The drumline with Reed Johnson and Darren Holbrooks. 

This painting was a major blessing for me. It was very humbling because I know that I did not gift myself with the ability to paint or the ideas for paintings. I am amazed and thankful for the gifts that He has given me. Nothing gives me more joy than using His gifts for His glory. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out. 

What are your gifts? How can you use them to glorify God? Ask Him. Then buckle your seatbelt!

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

1 Cor. 12:4-6

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

  I made prints of "Reed's Parade". They are $20 signed and numbered. Partial proceeds going to the band. I hope to do something special with the money to possibly help out the new drum circle that they have started for kids like Reed. 

If you want to purchase a print, email me at liz_landgren@yahoo.com

$5.00 will be added for shipping 

My little sister

New favorite subject for morning middle school carpool stories:

"The the life and times (and shenanigans) of my little sister,  Kate"

This morning's story:

I was in high school. Kate was in Jr. High.  One evening I was sitting on the couch watching a movie with a boy that I liked. He was a possible love interest. The jury was still out. 

In walks Kate..............wait for it......

Holding a cup of hot water, 

shaving cream, 

and a RAZOR. 

Yep. 

She sat on the floor in front of us...

And shaved her legs. 

If you could have seen the face of the 7th grade girl in our carpool when I told this story.

I HAD to illustrate this scene. 

Ps. Kate if you are horrified at the sharing of this classic, well. Sorry. 😘

Satan, Kiss My __

LONG POST ALERT:

I am the crazy lady that people probably go home from work and tell their spouse, "Let me just TELL YOU about what that crazy lady did today!" Here is the long story, longer:

So, yesterday was the day that I had the opportunity to FINALLY ship the painting that I did for Newtown, CT. (More on that later, I promise). This painting has hit more obstacles than one can fathom. Nevertheless, yesterday afternoon it was packaged and ready to go! The sky was turning really dark and I thought I'd better run to UPS before one of those summer rains gets me and my precious package all wet. So I pull into the UPS (Publix Green Springs) store parking lot and the torrential downpour begins. Not just that, but debris is flying and trees are swaying and the lightening was "screen saver" material. So I sat, waiting it out. My phone rings and my sweet boys are calling me, "Mom?? Are you OK? We got scared so we came down to the basement." (Mom of the year here) "Ok Buddy, I'm gonna wait until the storm passes, going to run in and drop this package and then I'll be home." 

So I wait about 20 minutes or so and it is still pouring and lightening and I'm like, DANGET, I am shipping this painting TODAY! 

Armed with the UPS number that Jeff Tenner from Soca gave me (his donation to my project, thank you Jeff!) I climb into the back, open my trunk, slide out with the package and run through the river (hoping not to get electrocuted) and into the UPS Store! Woot! I made it! It's about to happen, two and a half years later, the painting has a destination!  I'm soaking wet and holding the package, I go up to the desk to the familiar face behind the counter (by the way, if I've met someone more than once I feel like we are old friends). "HEY! Ok, I'm shipping this painting to Newtown, Connecticut and I have a UPS number that my friend gave me to use and...." 

"Oh, umm..." he says, "We actually can't look up numbers here.." Then he goes on to tell me that because they are a separate franchise from UPS themselves, that if I was going to use an account number I would need to have Jeff's login info and print out a label. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING. The painting needed to be shipped ASAP in order to get it to Newtown in time for my friend who is delivering it to get there (story on a later post, I promise!). Meanwhile my boys are calling me from home, because I've been gone an hour as apposed to the twenty minutes that I told them I would be gone. 

So, here comes the crazy lady part: I looked at him and said, "Satan does NOT want this painting to go to Newtown! He is trying to stop it any way he can! HEAR ME SATAN! You can't stop this painting from being shipped! Satan, YOU can go to HELL!" Then I was like, "well you love hell! So YOU CAN JUST GO....SOMEWHERE ELSE!" 

The place was quiet. My BFF behind the counter was looking at me bewildered, then I said, "OH NO! I wasn't talking to you! YOUR not Satan!" 😅 

Then the poor guy looks at me and says, "You know the UPS hub is about 2 miles down the road and they will take a shipping number no problem."   

....crickets.....

"Ok, I'll just do that then."

So the boys stayed in the basement about 40 more minutes while I weaved through 5:00 Friday afternoon Green Springs/Oxmoor Rd. traffic. Made it to UPS and (you guessed it) SHIPPED                The painting! Satan, you can kiss my ass. Ya HEAR ME?

Painting heading to Newtown! 👏🏻

(And I need a new UPS Store)

Mixed Up

Monday was a hard day. We had to let our 15 year old lab go. I came home feeling devastated, unsure, nervous and confused. Nothing I did made me feel better.  I mean, I wasn't going to go to the grocery and buy dinner when I had just had my dog put down. I couldn't just carry on with normalcy like cleaning the house, calling a friend, or even working on my commission. I sat in the studio and prayed for peace and comfort and just something to file my emotions into.  I found myself staring at the paint that I had squirted out for my commissioned painting. I walked over to another painting that was leaning against the wall. I hadn't been satisfied with where that painting was going so I grabbed a brush and started painting patterns and shapes and blocks of color all over it. It felt so good! I immersed myself into the pigments and strokes, not really caring if anyone would like it or want to buy it or not. I'm not even sure if it is finished, but it makes me feel so happy. This is a mixed up world. Nothing makes total sense to me BUT HIM.  He has the full design. He is the artist. No matter what kind if control I think I have.  

In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? - Job 12:10

How to Patch Bald Spots 101

I posted this video on Facebook yesterday and for the LOVE OF PETE...over TWO THOUSAND people have viewed it!  Really? Yes. I am as surprised as you probably are. There is a phenomenon that is shameless vulnerability.  This can only come from The Father because I am not vulnerable and brave about everything. Most of my willingness to SHARE the yuk things about myself is my need for approval and reassurance. I share that I left my baby sitting in the bathtub and answered the phone and briefly forgot about her.  YOU (are supposed to) respond with some awful thing that you did when your kids were young THEN I feel better about my mistakes and reassured that I am indeed a good mother. 

So I had been meaning to make a video showing how I cover my bald spots. I shot it yesterday morning in one take. I wondered for a minute if anyone would watch 6 minutes of me rattling on and on. Then I posted it. So, I put it on my blog so that my family that isn't on Facebook and others that might google "how to cover bald spots" etc. can watch it. 

Here ya go!

https://youtu.be/OVxx-PVsD3g

First Impressions

A young man rang my doorbell yesterday around noon. Rebel was going INSANE and I answered the door (because it is so RUDE to not answer the door. It might seem like I was profiling him to not answer, even if I think that the he could push me back inside my home and attack or kill me.) Anyway, he started his speech about how this is a sales contest bla bla bla... I interrupted him and apologetically told him not to waste his time on lil' ole me, because I am broke at the moment and....he interrupts me to say that if I don't buy something from him than other people from the contest are just gonna keep on ringing my doorbell. I nicely told him that he could come back next month... By then he had turned his back and he said, "NO..I WON'T...because THIS is a FIRST IMPRESSIONS contest!"

Besides the fact that I became upset bc he was "mad at me," I then was upset because he made me feel bad because he might be mad at me. Then I was MAD because he had the audacity to come onto MY porch, ring MY doorbell and be so RUDE. Then I couldn't believe how dumb it is for me to worry about being rude or hurting someone's feelings by not opening the door or by not buying what they are selling!  What in the crank nuggets is WRONG with me?  He could have attacked me SO EASILY. Nobody would have known bc nobody saw him at my door. REBEL was the only appropriate member of the scenario because he never stopped barking.  Just because the dude has a laminated index card with customer names on it DOES NOT make him legit. Wake up, Liz!

Ps. Dude needs to get someone to explain to him what an actual "first impression" is. 

PPS. It is very hard to find the line between loving others and being downright stupid.