First time here? Read this!

I've seen a bit of a surge in traffic on my humble little blog since this news story ran last night on 5news.

Here's a quick rundown about me, Lesley Manning. 

1. Wife to Chase for 8 years and counting!

2. Mom to Milo (4), Griffin (2) & Sage (8 months). They are a full time job to say the least.

3. Former elementary school teacher. I taught summer art classes for three years when the boys were little but after the little girl was born, I thought it wiser to take the summer off. 

4. Oklahoma Native. Born, raised(besides a brief stint in Georgia) and planting roots in the land of the Cherokees. That's me and my friend since practically birth, Amanda.

5. Bible Journaler. I paint and draw in my bible and some may find that weird but I think God is ok with it.

6.  Small house dweller. After kicking around the idea of minimalism for many years, my husband and I dove head first in it and cut our square footage in half when we moved. Five people in 1020 sq feet is an adventure that I am enjoying!

7. Art dropper. When things start going crazy in the world, I put out art to change up the dialog and infuse some love in the community. My three sidekicks also enjoy it.

8. Mixed media artist. Collage, glue, washi tape, paint, stencils, spray, inks, pens, stamps and anything else I can get my hands on. 

9.  Child of God. 

#ArtdropSallisaw

Am I the only one that feels like the world is going crazy? Earlier this summer I couldn't take all the negative news and gloom and doom small talk, so I decided to do something. My kids and I hid a painting at the 14 Flags Museum, posted it on Facebook and went home hoping to release some positivity into the world and change up the dialog going on. Within 30 minutes it was found and over the next week people were asking when the next round was!

Round 2!

Around the time of the Sallisaw rodeo, we hid some more paintings in downtown Sallisaw and posted this picture. Nothing priceless, just examples from classes I had taught and things I'd made for my house that I had enjoyed but was ready to pass on. 

The response this time was even more exciting because there were families racing all over our little downtown in search of them! All were found that same day!

Round 3

With even more people excited about #artdropsallisaw my kids and I dug through some more of our canvases and waited for the perfect time to do the third round. We didn't have to wait long because the second presidential debate provided breeding ground for social media craziness. This time, we put them in city parks and encouraged everyone to set their party differences aside and get some fresh air.

Of the six paintings, three were found the first day and the other three within a few days. 

Such a fun way to infuse a little adventure into our little town! 

Illustrating Proverbs

I know I'm not the only one who's go to book is Proverbs. With 30 chapters and usually 30 days in a month, it's easy to pick it when I'm doing a reading plan. Stuffed full of wisdom it was a book I knew would be no trouble to find nuggets of truth in. I decided to stick to just black pens and white pens for this book to change it up. 

I asked my 80 year old Grandma to do a page. She couldn't have picked a better verse. After raising 4 kids in the church, most of them and their 14 grandchildren are involved in a local church. When some of us wander off the path, she has spent countless hours praying in the middle of the night when we are on her hearts.

Illustrating Zephaniah

First off: I love the name Zephaniah. 

LOVE it! 

I think it's one of the most underrated biblical names along with Jonah and Abram. 

Zepheniah, Zepheniah, Zepheniah! 

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The world needs some Zephaniahs!! 

With nicknames like Zeph and Zephy, you just can't go wrong. 

I might be a tad bit partial to it since there was a boy named Zepheniah in the 2nd grade class I did my internship in. So, when I see this book of the bible, I think of a little boy with a smile as big as Chris Rock's! 

Now back to bible journaling....

Illustrating Isaiah

Isaiah is the second longest book in the bible coming in at 61 pages. When I read through the bible several years ago I can remember that the prophesy about the destruction of Israel, all the hints about Jesus, and the visuals of the end times all really confused me. Not one I've picked up to leisurely read since...But having reread through it to journal, God has revealed so much to me like the first page 

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, remove the evil deeds from before my eyes, cease doing evil, learn to do good,seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widows cause. Come now let us reason together. Isaiah 1:16-18

Come let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 2:5

Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard. Isaiah 5:1

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes. Isaiah 5:21

Your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for! Isaiah 6:7

Verses I did during advent illustrated. Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6

The light of Israel will become a fire and his holy one a flame. Isaiah 9:17

Another advent one Isaiah 11:1-2

Isaiah 12:2

I love the visual of the trees silently rejoicing God. Constantly lifting their branches to heaven, always growing towards the light and standing firm but at the same time bending with whatever the wind blows at them. Trees hold deep significance to me if you can't tell lol

The cypresses rejoice at you. Isaiah 14:8 

Poe's Raven showed up as well! 

May the offspring of evildoer a nevermore be named. Isaiah 14:20

Isaiah 15:5 my heart cries out for Moab her fugitives flee to Zoer. This may be way off but has my heart cried out for those fleeing oppression? When I hear about the refugee crisis in Europe or see news stories about some possibly coming to America, what is my reaction? Love? Fear? Hate? Open arms? This verse got me to thinking about how myself and the body needs to really take a look in the mirror and make sure we are on the right side of history on this one because darkness will never drive out darkness.

Illustrating Joel

One of the things I have really enjoyed about BSF this year as we study Revelations is that we have also looked at the prophesy throughout the bible. Joel is a tiny book at the end of the Old Testament that had some gems worth journaling. 

As I've said before one of the cries of my generation is for people who are authentic. This verse I feel completely encompasses what I desire for the church. To rend means to rip apart savagely. So this verse means to tear apart your insides not just your garments or what everyone sees. 

Illustrating Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes has been a favorite of mine for a long while. Maybe it is because so many in my generation see the vanity in the American Dream, or that we've seen people spend their lives "chasing after the wind" only to be monetarily wealthy but spiritually bankrupt. We've seen friends and neighbors crippled by credit card debt from trying to accumulate things as Dave Ramsey says to impress people we don't care for. 

What we are craving is authenticity.  We admire people who speak the truth when they say that they've tried it all like the author of Ecclesiastes, wealth, pleasure and knowledge, and without God it didn't satisfy. 

Maybe the microhouse movement should take up this verse! I definitely see the beauty in simple living. 

I love the visual of in the day of prosperity be joyful being and outward expression of an inward fullness; in the day of adversity consider being and inward reflection of outward circumstances.

I pulled this girl from a W magazine at a salon because I knew she could go with this verse. I changed the pronouns to feminine but it is truth for both genders. Have you ever known someone that literally their face shines? There is a lady named Patsy that I've known all my life that is so joy filled that even when you see her driving her bus route her face shines with the brightest smile. And if you happen to run into her in Walmart you will leave blessed having just been around her because her love for God pours out of every fiber of her being.

A woman's wisdom makes her face shine.

Ecclesiastes is as applicable to this present time as it was when it was written thousands of years ago. Everything will pass. Don't gossip. Evil is real. Enjoy your labor. Eat, drink & be merry. Live simply. Fear God. Keep his commands.