The Light of Connection ᥫ᭡♱ [_]>

♱ᥫ᭡¤ The Light of Connection ¤ᥫ᭡♱

“𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕒𝕫𝕖 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕒 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕜𝕪.”

~ 《Cecile McLorin Salvant》

♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱ᥫ᭡♱

I'm continuing my path of *emotional, spiritual, and creative growth* (and lots of a perspective checks) with journaling inspiration from @leacayoungart Leaca Young’s class “The Heart of Journal Writing” #theheartofjournalwriting - 2nd quarter is *Growth & Connection*. One of the June prompts is, “The Light of Connection.” There's a *lot* of Leaca inspiration here: quotes, stencils (another paper doll, including her new stencil set Mini Paper Dolls Expansion - 3 Piece Stencil Set, with wings!), swatching, printables, ideas, & support. It's also got one of her folded Paper Bouquets from the class #paperpoetry (that I had so much fun filling). And, she has a new weekly challenge…a Creative Whispers - like a game of Telephone, but with mixed media magic! #CreativeWhispers 4our artists. One secret prompt. Each of us creating based only on the artwork before us... no one knows the original prompt (except Leaca). Her creative dream team: @tinahoisart @willa.wanders @gabrielle_heckenbucker

This is the garden I've been tending, where my heart & studies have led me this week (study below). There's pages from an old poetry book, fabric scraps, and grateful gatherings of blessings I've *received* from so many friends.

Washi tape from @dinawakley & Leaca & @deedeecatron & @umwowstudio & @aallandcreate & @jcklein00 & @illustratedfaith & @alteredstatesstudio

@theuglyartclub THREADS I'm still indulging in May's theme #tuacthread #tuac Lots of machine sewing on this, but I always love to use threads & textiles! This also dives into their June theme #tuacsnapshot showing ways to add & tuck snapshots of my life! One of the tucked things is a kid's coloring page from a local seafood place with an octopus (see study notes below with #foundwords ).

#artheals #Christianartist #ArtForTheLord #radiategodslove #collageartist #MixedMediaArt #elegantgrunge #findjoyintheordinary #GodsWordEveryDay #createshareinspire #messyart #LetGoOfPerfection #handstitched #sewinginmyjournal #dirtyfingershappyart #theworldismycraftstore #usewhatyouhave #imperfectionismymiddlename #positivitythroughcreativity #saveyourscraps #creativecommunity #everythingbutthekitchensink #junkjournaling

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Study notes

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Soul Seeds: The Light of Connection

We all hold something sacred deep inside - an ache to be known, a desire to belong, a need for connection. And yet, connection often begins in the most unexpected places.

When I read *Remarkably Bright Creatures* by Shelby Van Pelt, I wasn’t prepared for how deeply I’d resonate with Marcellus, the brilliant octopus with a curiously sharp sense of character. He became more than a clever marine creature - he became a mirror of consciousness. In the quiet solitude of his tank, he recognized something divine in others, something wounded and waiting to be seen.

Isn’t that what we’re all doing, in some form - waiting to be seen?

There’s a line Cecile McLorin Salvant sings in “Thunderclouds”¹ that I haven’t stopped thinking about: “Sometimes you have to gaze into a well to see the sky.” She seeks connection during the pandemic and conscious gratitude for the frightening and difficult things in the world. To me, it means that sometimes, we need to look down into the depths - of ourselves, of our grief, of our stories - in order to glimpse what’s above us, what holds hope, what light still lingers. Sometimes the sky is reflected most clearly in the stillness of sorrow.

Tova’s journey in the story is one of grief and healing, but also of subtle, sacred redemption. She learns that redemption doesn’t always arrive with trumpets and fanfare - it often shows up as a gentle nudge, a kindred spirit, or an unlikely friend. She finds Marcellus, but she also finds herself again.

In the body of Christ, we’re reminded again and again that “it is not good for man to be alone.” And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18) For the first time, God saw something that was not good - the aloneness of man. God never intended for man to be alone, either in the marital or social sense. We are created for connection, knitted together with divine intention. Community is not an accident - it’s a calling.

There’s a holy kind of alignment that happens when our paths intersect with those who see our inner light. The “safe place” people. The ones who help us feel less alone in our wells. The ones who sit with us in the dark and remind us to look up.

Maybe hope is the courage to keep gazing into the well. Maybe connection is what helps us spot the stars.

---

(a *found words* poem)

Little Things.

All the beautiful stars of the sky,

that shine and sparkle

“something good is about to happen.”

she whispered it softly under the stars.

FRIENDSHIP

Their fondness for each other

“We must all stand together

Heart to Heart

reflections of each other.

but still she

clearly

lived each day with grace and authenticity

contentedly

always

on the lookout

for the presence of

the Lord's

wonders.

**A Prayer for the Light of Connection**

Lord,

Thank You for the ways You weave us together - sometimes gently, sometimes unexpectedly, but always with purpose.

When I gaze into the well of my own heart, let me see the light of Your presence reflecting back.

Help me remember that connection is not a luxury - it’s a lifeline. Make me attentive to the kindred spirits You place along my path. Let me be a safe place for others, a reflection of Your love and light.

May I never forget: Even in the depths, the stars still shine. Even in grief, You are near. Even in solitude, I am known.

Amen.

¹ "Thunderclouds"

Song by Cécile McLorin Salvant ‧ 2022

“Lay your burden down

Look to the sky it is raining

Open your mouth and swallow the sun

Shrouded in clouds like my love for you

Shrouded in thunderclouds like my dreams

Sometimes you have to gaze into a well to see the sky

Sometimes you have to gaze into a well to see the sky

Sometimes you have to gaze into a well to see the sky

Sometimes you have to gaze into a well to see the sky

You've been through the mud

Well, brooding through, that is all that you can do

When you've lost everything

But your sense of human, it is shroud in the thunderclouds

Like my dreams shroud in the thunderclouds

Like my love for you shroud in the thunderclouds

Like when dreams seem too good to be true

L'insomnie, en son début, est presque une oasis

Où se réfugient ceux qui ont à penser ou à souffrir

Ombrageusement”

[tr. “Insomnia, at its beginning, is almost an oasis

Where those who have to think or suffer take refuge

Shadowily”]

https://youtu.be/frBrA7OurxI?si=hFxf0iXLic9V5pem

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