by Maddie

There are so many things I could write about today; I’ve been feeling off . So many anxious thoughts have been racing through my head these past two days, that I could write about any one of them. Maybe it’s the sugar’s fault. Remember how I said I was going out to eat this weekend? Well I did and it was a nice time (featuring a semi-blurry photo my dad took... you're welcome). However, when I go out to eat, I eat. I have a tendency to overdo it. With complimentary over-bake

Yesterday was a big accomplishment and now I'm worried. If you didn’t notice when you opened up the blog, Handiworks is a bit different now. After a lot of time spend editing it, I have revamped Handiworks to now offer copywriting services (Here’s hoping that the Lord provides jobs soon!). And… drumroll please … I HAVE MY OWN DOMAIN! Yep, that’s right, I finally made the (financial) leap and am now Googleable. Handiworksbymaddie.com is officially mine, and I couldn’t be happ

It’s a sad day. I’ll be the first to admit, I am not very well-versed or up to date with world politics. But even I know that Russia just declared war on Ukraine. There is a sorrow in the air, even more so than that which has permeated the past two years. I don’t know what will come of these events. But I do know this: God is not gone. It’s easy to doubt God, especially with all of the chaos surrounding us. And that’s okay. Cry out to God, yell, scream– He can take it. Just d

You know the movie Evan Almighty ? It’s actually a spin-off of the more popular Bruce Almighty , but Evan has always been my favorite. It follows the story of Evan (Steve Carell) and his family as God (Morgan Freeman) calls him to build an ark. A modern day Noah; isn’t that cool? And no, before we get too far, this isn’t a movie review. I have a point to this. I promise. As you can imagine, Evan’s wife, Joan, is a bit confused why her newly-elected Congressman husband is ele

I had a very uncomfortable evening last night. I’m glad. As most of you know, I’ve been writing and illustrating my own novel for the past few months. Yesterday, my parents read it. I was terrified. It’s a big step of faith and vulnerability to share something that is so close to your heart, with people who know your heart so well. Because I knew they would pick up on the nuances, all the ways the protagonist, Mari, is like me. They would notice her artistry, obviously, but a

Things rarely go as planned. I wrote this blog before. About an hour ago actually. Then the WIFI cut out and with it, all of the words I’d typed. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? It takes me 30-40 minutes to write a blog post, and then a few more minutes to add in photos and formatting. Blogging is my first project in the morning. I even do it before I eat breakfast, it’s that much of a priority. So you can imagine that I was not happy to see that error screen pop up. And on a Monday

I painted this a while ago (like 7 years ago , a while) and did not speak the language I penned. It was Hebrew, a mysterious language, with letters so elegant and painterly... that I just had to use them. Now, why am I going down this Memory Lane trip? Because this painting (which, fun fact, I accidently dropped in the grass... instant texture! ), is one that I can now read. You see, when I was in college, I studied Hebrew because I wanted to understand the language of the O

Do you ever think you look great... until you take a picture of yourself? Me too. For the last nine months, I've been working with a fitness coach to slim down, so I take progress pics. Wow, is that a confidence boost (sarcasm there, in case you can't tell). I'm convinced that our phones' cameras are geared to make us lose confidence. Maybe that's why filters have become so popular. In the blink of an eye, I can go from looking in the mirror and thinking 'wow I feel great!' t

You know that whole surrender thing I was talking about yesterday ? Turns out it's not as easy as I made it out to be. Simple, yes, but not easy. It reminds me of some instructions Jesus would give: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Clear and concise, right? Simple-- deny yourself, take up your cross, follow. Easy? No way. That's what I didn't mention in yesterday's post. Surrendering your life, and

I have no idea what I'm going to write about. That fills you with confidence, doesn't it? You see, typically, I have a plan. In fact, typically I can't stop planning. I write these posts in the morning, so the night before, I lie awake and brainstorm until the melatonin kicks in and sleep overtakes me. Its part of my personality, I think, to be a planner. That Type A perfectionist. But I'm not naïve enough to understand that my OCD also plays a role. Trust me, I don't lay aw

I got this lovely e-card this morning from an even lovelier mentor of mine. It was exactly what I needed. Let me back up a step. I start the day with God, with Bible time. Still laying in bed, in fact, I take the first fifteen-or-so minutes of my day and meditate on His word. I love this practice; I can run into a problem, though. Once my mind gets awake enough to study the Word, it also gets coherent enough to speckle my thoughts with fear. Mornings are hard for me, my OCD b

You know the song, "I'm a Little Teapot"? It's been replaying in my head all day and I can't get it out. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. I could attribute it to my liking of tea, or random brain psychology stuff that I do not understand, but I'm gonna take it seriously, like I so often do. I have no clue where this post is going to lead us, but I trust God to direct my steps (and typing fingers). So, today was are talking about being teapots. I don't think I need to tell yo

I'm not a night owl. Never have been, probably never will be. My idea of a late night is anything past 10:30. Ideally, I'm in my jammies and snuggled in blankets by 6:00. Why am I telling you this, you may ask? Because I really like to sleep. And I have a night class that messes with that. Its a three hour art class, once a week. I can be a night owl once a week, right? However, I've run into this problem... WE ALWAYS GO OVER TIME!! Now, an extra five minutes is one thing, b

Hi friends! It's been a whopping nine months since I've posted on Handiworks... sorry about that. Life got busy, but that's not really an excuse, is it? We are all busy, after all. It's all about deciding what your priorities are, and suddenly you are able to make time for them. Funny how that works, right? Well, after this hiatus, I've re-evaluated some of my priorities. I have less than a year left at Messiah University, so I bet you can guess what's been bouncing around in

Once upon a time, there was a girl, who met a boy. Their story felt like a fairytale, complete with sweet sayings and a handsome prince. They clicked instantly, agreed that God had drawn them together. The girl felt beautiful, cherished, seen, in a way that she never had before. It was amazing. Until he went away. At first she was sure he would come back, but days turned into weeks. Her heart hurt; tears flowed endlessly. She was trying to understand, couldn't understand. Why

In honor of Mother's Day, I'm sharing this poem about the world's first mother, Eve! Now I know this poem is long, but try to take it all in... feel the weight of the Father's love. “Eve” Eve Is what I am He says I used to be Nothing Enshrouded in darkness Cool and compact earth But then He made me Out of dirt and a figure Form like mine with a cut in his side The figure is Adam Man And I am Eve Woman He says And we are His He says He is Abba

Happy Friday! I legitimately forgot today was Friday, so that's how my week's been :) If you've had a crazy week like mine, take this time to settle and meditate... “The Artist” Crimson With a dab of emerald; That'll be the base. Dips the wide flat brush, An arc of pigment graces pure white. Now where's my cadmium yellow, My peach, umber, blush? Paint squeezed onto palette. Mix. Warm mossy background Replaced by face, neck, body: soft flesh. Eyes, my favorite, like pools of

Happy Friday, everyone! This week's post is a poem that is a bit darker than my typical style... let's just say that the narrator is unique ... “The Delightful Dark” I love the smell of fear. What’s it like, you ask? Oh, a bit like cat pee, I’d say: Rancid, sour, with a zing at the end. Whenever that scent tickles my nostrils, I can’t help but shiver with glee. And if I trace the scent back to its source, I can see that lovely fear as well. And oh, it is a wonderous sight i

A thought to ponder on this Good Friday: "Innocence" We have lost our innocence. The purity of youth Tarnished by age. We have Thought Viewed Said Done Things we should not have. Things that stain. But God-- Oh those two small words, Immense in power-- He says He remembers No more , Condemns never, Forgives in full . He says Pure Righteous Beloved. Our innocence was lost, Now found in a manger of cloth And infant cries. Our tainted beings Replaced

You may not know this about me, but I love cardinals. Regardless of the season, you can catch me scanning the treetops, searching for their bright presence. And to me, they’re not just pretty red birds. God and I have a special thing going on with cardinals: for me, cardinals are like Jesus. In fact, whenever I see or hear one, I can’t help but smile and whisper “hi Jesus”. Now, before you call me crazy, let me explain. It all started when I went to college. I was having a ve