I wrote a post back in April, sharing the beginnings of my first stained glass repair. You can read it here.
When I was asked about the possibility of the repair, I knew my teacher could do it. I didn't know that she was going to have me do it. I sent her a picture of the cross and her response was to tell me I can do it.
And I did.
Not without tons of help though.
I learned lots from that repair. As I have already written, I experienced deconstruction in order to construct.
It took me about a month to get it done, putting in close to 12 hours on the project.
A repair is different from creation. I found myself wanting to honor the original creator's work and the desires of the owner as I moved through the process. That is probably normal. I also noticed that I wanted to strengthen the piece where possible, without changing how it looked.
Though I have improved on being able to breathe through on my own work, I noticed myself holding my breath more on the repair. Learning to let go, make mistakes, and keep going on a piece that meant something to someone else was a definite learning curve.
My teacher gave me advice and showed me lots of things along the repair. When I second guessed myself, she helped me talk it through.
In my first post I noted that the destruction part was satisfying. It was. Knowing that something broken had to be broken more in order to be fixed was a good lesson. I leaned into that part.
The time I spent with this repair was meaningful. I am grateful for the experience.
Stained glass work has a holy component to it for me. It isn't just a hobby or physical activity. It has become a spiritual practice that allows me to practice breathing, creativity, and much more.
You can take a look at the photos below of the finished piece and some of the process.
I started this post, part 3 of my Strength for the Journey week, WEEKS ago. on May 2nd. I am finally getting around to finishing it. I wanted to share some of what I learned from the speakers, workshops, etc. Part of what is below was previously written. I take up today below the information on the tie-dye ice hats.
As I reflect on the past week at Steiner Bell Lodge with Strength for the Journey, I am full. My heart, mind, and soul became filled through connections, conversations, worship, learning, campfires, hiking, doing crafts, sitting in the rocking chairs looking at the view, blowing bubbles from the deck and watching the wind take them away. I am full of gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the retreat team.
I was a tad apprehensive about going. Not because of the people. I honestly don't know what was there in me to cause that. It could have been the unknown-- a new place, serving on a team and only knowing a few people, not fully knowing what to expect.
But, any ounce of apprehension quickly melted away and was replaced with peace once I got there.
In my 2nd post, I mentioned how accepted I felt. I felt seen, heard, and loved. That's an incredible feeling.
Every time we worshipped, we sang "Draw the Circle Wide". This song is written by Gordon Light and the tune is by Mark Miller. I've written about it three times before, have used it in a celebration of life service, and have heard it in several places. It is a perfect song for Strength for the Journey. It can be found in Worship & Song, #3154
(handout used for celebration of life service)
one of many versions found on YouTube
I have notes from our speakers and worship times to go back over to see what else caught my attention during the week.
The ice tie-dye craft was fun! I enjoy tie-dye and have made a shirt, but I mostly buy from others. To make my own hat was pretty cool. One doesn't quite know how the colors are going to turn out, so it's a "wait and see" experiment.
Here are some photos from that:
Everyone's hat turned out so cool! There is something about doing a project together with others that is not only fun, but uplifting.
We had other activities too-- a card making craft. Small artist cards. You could be as creative as you wanted to be. There were stamps, you could cut out pictures, there were stickers, ETC. These small cards are fun to make and there's a world out there that makes them, trades them, and collects them. I just had fun making one and seeing what everyone else did. Here is mine:
Have I mentioned the campfires yet? If I have, please indulge me. :) We had campfires for three of the nights, as the weather co-operated. Campfire time was a time to relax, sing, share about the day, and hang out with one another. Colored flames added to the fun. The music was great It's a tad difficult for me to put in words how meaningful this time was. I have always enjoyed campfire time-- from camping out with my family to attending and working camps throughout my life. There is something special about this time. Here are a few photos of our campfires:
Here is the altar in our worship space for the week. Things were added along the way, but this is the only photo I took. I really liked the Guatemalan cloths.
I looked up my notes in one of the notebooks, as I cannot find the other one right now. :)
We each got this notebook for the week:
Here are some of the things that stood out to me in the various speaker sessions, worship, etc.
Find the genuine in you and embrace it. This caused me to reflect-- what IS my genuine? I wrote down "play, authenticity, in creation". I imagine there is more to unpack there, but for now I'm just writing down some of the notes.
In the wilderness, look for trail markers-- blazes, maps, cairns, clouds, pillars of fire. 'You never know what events will lead you home.'
Isaiah 43:14-19. God makes a way. God does a new thing. We will find God in liberation, in the place of wilderness. We can not do the wilderness journey on our own.
It's okay to be afraid in the wilderness.
Those are just a few of the notes I took. I am sure I absorbed much more than that.
Here's what was written about wilderness on a handout. I am not sure who wrote it, compiled it, or from whence it came. But, it is a great statement about wilderness:
"Wilderness is a time or place where we encounter what is new, strange, scary, lonely, unknown or mysterious. The wilderness is a wild and beautiful time and place where we can discover the sacred within each person and all creation. The wilderness can inspire us and guide us, assuring us of God's constant presence. As the Spirit guides us through the wilderness, we find what we need to face our fears and the very real challenges that impact our world. The wilderness teaches us the importance of community and the ways we navigate challenges together. The wilderness reveals our strengths, growing edges, and potential as God equips us for the unknown still to come. The wilderness awaits us all, ang God meets us there."
I could probably write more about my time with Strength for the Journey, but I think I will stop now. There is so much within me for which I am grateful for this opportunity to attend. To all the "campers", thank you for sharing your time for the week. There were many meaningful conversations. To all the staff, thank you for all the work done in preparation and during the week. Everyone pitched in and did their part to make this happen. I look forward to being with and working with all of you again.
In closing, here are some pictures from my time in the wilderness, on the trail we hiked on Thursday. It was at the Greenbrier entrance of the Smoky Mountains. The trail took us by a creek and up to a cabin. There was a cemetery along the way, lots of cool nature things, such as rocks and more.
