No Fear...

I don't think I've told you about this amazing little mini journal I bought on Etsy.  

After sending out several orders and being blessed with lots of sales, I decided I'd like to purchase something fun for myself.  I had this little book tucked away in my "favorites" section for a while.  

I didn't even have to think long about what I wanted to buy.

It is genuine cow leather and measures 2.25"X3" 

It fits in the palm of my hand. 

Lots of pages - 320 counting both sides 

Hand-stitched... 

Swoon.  I was in love.

It came all the way from Thailand, but did not take long to arrive at all.

I did a few pages with water color right away.  

It was fun and interesting to work on a small space like this - smaller than an ATC card, but lager than inchies.

The pages are a bit too thin to handle wet medium like water colors, so I decided to glue a few pages and paint them first with gesso to give it some thickness.  

This is a recent spread I did.

 I have been thinking about fear a lot lately.  

I don't want to live in fear. I don't want to worry.  I don't want to doubt.

I want to have a voice.

I want to understand.

I want my heart to be safe and I want to offer safety for the hearts of others.

I don't want to fear about being perfect.

I don't want to fear about being forgotten.

 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

"Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out."
Karl Augustus Menninger

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
Dale Carnegie

So, dear friend, do not be afraid.  Get out there and let your voice be heard.  Do you feel like you need to express yourself through painting? Then paint!  Do you want to sing?  Sing!  Do you want to believe? Then believe.  Do not live in fear.  Do not let it trap you any longer.  You can be free.  No fear.

"The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear."
Gandhi