I skip ahead to the end of books (and am learning to make art)

I have a habit that confounds my friends. Once I am intrigued by a good book and emotionally involved in the characters, I almost always skip ahead to the end to see if everything turns out okay for them. It doesn't bother me a bit to know the ending. Once reassured, I feel as if I can better weather the peril that always happens in the middle, and take in more of the journey.

A friend recommended My Berlin Kitchen by Luissa Weiss to me this week. I have snuck away from family duties to read snatches of her memoirs, and found myself halfway through, last night, compelled to skip ahead to the end to see if she ever reconnected with Max.

This book combines each memory of her life spent between parents in Europe and America with a certain favorite recipe from that part of her life. I love the calming, beautiful way that she writes (and I have been looking up culinary terms right and left). And even though I will never make duck stuffed with a French farce, I feel more like cooking than I usually do. I even looked at the Wednesday recipes that come in the newspaper insert before recycling them. I considered buying leeks and artichokes before remembering that my family will not eat them at this time.

For her, cooking is a creative, expressive thing, and that somehow consoles me as I chop the necessary vegetables for a dinner salad. As if cooking dinner actually matters, not just because we have to eat, but because it can be something more if I let it and think about it in a different way...maybe with a little soothing Pandora radio playing in the background of my non-gourmet kitchen...a skill to honed...a craft...a creative outlet.

Emily Freeman has a new book out too, on making "art" with your life, whether it is trying a new recipe, sculpting, composing, or painting. Fall brings me the challenge of trying to choreograph this year's angels for our Singing Christmas Tree. Part of me is always concerned that what I think up in my head will be a flop when it comes time for the show. Part of me is worried that I have mixed motives in wanting the dance portions to be amazing and not just okay. God has been encouraging me through Emily's words and the reminders of friends that God has given me a gift to share. Now I'm praying for confidence to make art for Him without worrying and feeling insecure, especially when the ideas that come are new ones.

If you are worried that what you have to offer may not be enough, check out Emily's blog or new book A Million Little Ways. You can find her at chattingatthesky.com

http://www.chattingatthesky.com/2013/10/24/desires-vs-motives/

Here's one quote that helps me keep listening to Christmas CD's in the middle of October with fingers crossed that it will all turn out ok... and maybe even glorious:

"Do you believe that you have something to offer?

When you become aware of a scrap of a desire, do you toss it aside and label it selfish instead of considering it sacred?

Emily Freeman"

 

Meanwhile my daughters have been making myriads of rainbow loom art. See my bracelets below. This craze will probably go the way of silly bands and scratch-and-sniff sticker collections, but for now, I am happy to see them busily creating instead of surfing Netflix.