Optimism!

I really enjoyed doing this page - simple lines in colour with Derwent Inktense blocks which I love.  They are watercolour crayons with the most intense colour.  It always gives me a thrill when I brush water over the faint colour just applied and these vivid colours pop up - wonderful.  I stamped and doodled and then got on with the journaling which was the point of the page but I wrote in white so it wouldn't detract from the bright colours.

Obviously I was feeling good when I did this page!  I was so grateful to God and wanted to express that.  This autumn, right at the beginning of September, as usual I became unwell with another bout of chronic fatigue.  I say "as usual" because its been the 4th year on the trot that I've been plagued by fatigue after years of being ok.  I thought at the time, o no here we go again.  But I really prayed to God and said that I really really did not want to take any time off sick from work and I had to be well enough to jump on an airplane and go and visit my mother in Gibraltar with my daughter at the end of October.

God is so faithful!  He did hear my prayer and answered.  It wasn't easy but I only had 2 days off which I took as holiday and I managed to go on working (I only work 2 days a week) although not quite all my hours.  I also went to Gibraltar and even came back refreshed and better.  

Here is a picture of us on the beach in Gibraltar.  It was really warm and we could have gone swimming if only we'd had our bathing costumes. 





I trusted God and he answered.

The reason I put my art journal page right at the beginning of the post is that it has helped me to hang on when I've been in danger of losing that optimism.  Whenever I've felt myself starting to lose that spark I've remembered this page and said to myself, Optimism because I trust.  

So I trust God and remain full of optimism!