THE BARNES YEAR IN REVEW 2009

January - I spent the month recovering from my first hip replacement.
Tim jumped in and took over the cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc....

February - My joints began to swell. After quite a bit of testing the doctors were still confused.
We all went to see Tim Hawkins, a very funny Christian comedian in Galesburg. Even Tim cracked a smile!

March - Tim was still doing lots of cooking, cleaning, and shopping! I was still recovering and homeschooling Heather and Zach.
I began teaching classes at the Art Guild again.

April - I had my second hip replacement surgery. During this time I also had my first blood transfusion because of an extremely low blood count.

May - I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Later my doctor said that he was amazed that I was able to walk through the office door ... that people with labs like mine would usually be lying in a hospital bed. He also said, "You must be a pretty tough lady!" My doctor put me on meds THAT DAY. Within an hour I was starting to feel better!!!!

June - Heather and Zach went to Six Flags for the first time with the Richwoods Christian Church junior high youth group.
Zach had his 12th Birthday.

July - Tim went to Brazil for a missions trip and floated down the Amazon River. Oh, and his iPhone took a little swim too, but recovered.

August - The family spent a relaxing and fun week in Jackson, Wyoming visiting cousins, hanging out in coffee shops, and playing MOUNTAIN GOLF.
Tim celebrated 50.

September - Zach and Heather began school again at Aletheia and Liz and Tim began teaching classes there.
Heather and Zach took golf lessons.
My parents spent 6 weeks cleaning organizing, switching, and renovating our upstairs. We all got newly decorated bedrooms and we all moved to different rooms. Heather took over the attic, which now looks like a very cool condo loft. Zach got a very organized boy hang-out, complete with a lego building countertop and storage cabinets. Tim and I finally got the master bedroom in an amazing colonial blue with white trim and wonderful closet organizing systems. And.... we finally have a guest room. So we finally have a place for guests to stay.

October - I turned 45. How did that happen.
I began a small group through our church with some great gals - Katie and Emily!

November - Zach and Heather began doing part of their schooling online with K-12.
I had an art show at CI Creative in Grand Prairie.
We all had a great time at the Cirque Dreams Illumination (like the Cirque de Sole).

December - A fun but CRAZY month includes:
- a Christmas Party and Glass Fusing project with my 3rd/4th grade literature class
- Heather's 15th Birthday Slumber Party
- hosting a wedding shower for Tim's nephew John and his fiancee Talea
- my brother Scott and his wife Holly, and Jessica and Heidi spend a little over a week in Peoria. FUN TIMES!
- the Barnes Family Christmas at our place.

Through the challenges and joys of 2009,
God has been so good!

I pray that in 2010...

we will see God in new and amazing ways

we will love as He wants us to love

we will forgive as He wants us to forgive

we will become who He want us to be.

Liz

COLLABORATION BREEDS - CREATIVITY

I was e-mailing a fellow artist today. We were discussing the importance of taking an Art Class versus a 'ONE-ON-ONE' experience. So much learning that takes place when people begin to work in collaboration with others. Students teach students. The instructor teaches the students. The students teach the instructor. We learn from other's accomplishments and disasters.   These observed experiences can reduce our" learning or creating" CURVE.

COLLABORATION BREEDS - CREATIVITY

The beauty of COLLABORATION carries into many other areas of our lives: education, medicine, business.   As a person of FAITH in Jesus Christ, I'm reminded how Christ chose to live life in COLLABORATION with others.  He was not a "Lone Ranger."  He was deeply committed to a group of men who lived their lives in COLLABORATION.

I wonder.......... how much I live in COLLABORATION with others?  Do I have a group of people who drive me to become more than I am on my own?  Is my heart open to collaborate with others?

A few years ago I taught ART at a small Christian grade school, Highland Christian Academy.  I had an idea for the 4th grade class to write and then illustrate their own original stories.  These would be done in groups of 4 students each.  The plan was so beautifully orchestrated in my mind, well behaved students, creating literary masterpieces with illustrations far beyond their perceived capabilities.  If you've taught..... you know that I was living in a DREAM WORLD.

I presented the idea to the students.  They looked at me with glazed eyes, you know, the "I have know idea what your talking about look."  The first two classes were disastrous.  I was breaking up arguments in each group.  The students couldn't make any decision without arguing.  I was getting worried that this was going to be the BOMB of all BOMBS (I'm past 35 years old, so BOMB means something BAD.).

But by the 3rd class I started to see some progress.  They were delegating people into positions.  Their stories were beginning to take shape.  Photos of CLAYMATION scenes were beginning to look like something recognizable.  The stories weren't what I had imagined, but...... COLLABORATION was beginning to take place.

Finally after weeks of work, the students were ready to present their books.  We invited parents and friends.  The tables were decorated and yummy treats were waiting.  A rocking chair was placed at the front of the room for the designated readers. 

The crowd was loud.  The reading was awful.  But..... there was a sense of accomplishment on the faces of each student.  They knew how much work that had gone into to their original books.

COLLABORATION....... not always easy, but always worth the effort!!!!

Liz

Still Thinking......

The family went to see the comedian Tim Hawkins tonight in Galesburg!!!!  Tim wasn't too excited about going.  But we drug him along anyway.  I did notice quite a few smiles in his direction.  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Liz

Just Thinking.......

Blah, Blah, Blah

I need a space not to talk about jewelry!!!! 

 Art "yes," 

creativity "yes," 

God "yes." 

 The business of it all, nooooooooo.

The goal for my life  

..... not allow my PASSION to become my PRISON.

I need a nudge to finish my  series pieces....

Sleep (finished),  Awakening, Purified (both still waiting)

It is so easy to have creative ideas....

but to carry those ideas through to completion.....

that is the difficult part.  

But what a sad commentary...

 to be given the gift of creative thoughts 

and 

dreams 

...and to never realize those.  

It's so easy to become lulled 

by the everyday.  

The heart, the passion become dulled and sleepy.

Lord, wake my heart!!!!

Liz