Bits of Truth

Jerry was a leader in the youth group I attended every Sunday morning (plus Sunday and Wednesday nights). As the oldest leader he was deemed Grandpa. A good guy for the most part.

During the summer, all us teens would gather at his home for “Mud Wars.” He’d water down the acre in front of his house till it became a mud pit. There we’d play football, capture the flag, and had general mayhem for a day. Then rinse off (which now the thought disgusts me) in the canal / cow walk next to the field.

But one morning at youth group…Jerry was stupid. He told us that big bad God in the sky would punish us with acne for being sexually active. Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Bits of Truth, Coaching, Freebies, Truth Cards

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Art Therapy, authenticity, Coaching, Counseling, Courage, Depression, encourage, freebie, garden, growth, Healing, journeys, Life Coaching, Love, perspective, Self-Help, Self-Worth, Spirituality, Spring, Transformation, Truth, truth card, TWLOHA, Well Being

Dear Loved Soul.

Have you ever held an imperfect flower?

You know the type:
~ bruised
~ bent
~ a petal or two missing.

It’s hardly the type of flower we’d expect to get from someone who is trying to show us an ounce of affection.

Let’s be honest here.

When you get a bouquet from a loved one — well — it’s supposed to be perfect. Hand selected, fragrant, beautiful, the very best. Else we think we are not loved…
…enough. Continue reading »

Smiggles and Big Burley

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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Art Journaling, Art Therapy, Beauty, Challenges, Change, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Courage, Faith, Healing, Hope, Journal, Journals, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mentoring, Prayer, Self Image, Self-Help, self-portrait, Self-Worth, Spirit-Led, Spirituality, success, Transformation, Well Being

This is Mister Smiggles.

I met him several weeks back.

I saw him a block away.

You notice little guys like him.

I also noticed his owner. Big burly rough-n-tough tattooed guy. He in the background with Mister Smiggle’s brother, Bruce. (click on picture for a bigger reveal)

I want to say he had on leather…Big Burley that is. And he was bald. Yes, I think. It’s hard to recall. What I’m trying to tell you is that you do not expect to see Mister Big-n-Burley with Mister Smiggles. Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Bits of Truth, Coaching, Freebies, Truth Cards

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Dear Miracle.

Not just a soul…
but a miracle.

Every moment
of every day
you are a living,
breathing,
amazing miracle.

And you forget.
Right?
(so do I)

It’s easy to remember when we hold a newborn, or something fresh and new and perfect…

But we are not that anymore. (fresh, new, perfect, innocent, blameless…) Continue reading »

bits of heART

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Art, Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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Art, Art Journaling, Art Therapy, Beauty, Challenges, Change, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Faith, Healing, Hope, Journal, Journals, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mentoring, Prayer, process art, Self Image, Self-Help, self-portrait, Self-Worth, Spirit-Led, Spirituality, success, Transformation, Well Being

Art by Sherry Meneley
click image for full view

The first art I fell in love with was Maurice Sendak. I was a little person then. Specifically a book called “Chicken Soup with Rice” pulled me. Yes, I loved the poem… the song…but the pictures had me. Something was off-center. Messy. Macabre. I’ve always had a love for the thing that was “different.”

Always.

When I wandered into the world of “fine-art”, Michael Parkes was a favorite. Still is. The first bit of art I owned of his is called “Night Flight” – a gift from my hubs… which inspired some permanent “ink.” Michael’s winged creatures and symbolism tap my senses. And while there is a whimsical, capricious, and beautifully vexing language to his work…it’s quite clean. Perfect.

And perfect is okay…. but… Continue reading »

The Day It Almost Died

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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Art Journaling, Art Therapy, Beauty, Challenges, Change, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Faith, Healing, Hope, Journal, Journals, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mentoring, Prayer, Self Image, Self-Help, self-portrait, Self-Worth, Spirit-Led, Spirituality, success, Transformation, Well Being

Did I ever tell you about…?

No of course I didn’t. But today I will.

I’ve been an independent, go my own way, creative-thing. Always. And, yes, that sounds stupid, because all the writers, artists, etc… say, “ever since I was a kid…” Yet truth be told—it’s true…ever since we were little.

BUT there was a day something extra woke up in me. And there have been two distinct times I almost let someone kill the good awakening.

This, the story of one. Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

29 Wednesday May 2013

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Dear Growing Soul.

When you are in the garden of growth…
it’s the most beautiful thing.

Growing isn’t easy.
Pushing through soil.
Avoiding weeds that stop you.
Seasons of dry oppressive heat.
Torrential rains threaten to flood.
And the on-lookers.

Sweet growing tender-shoot soul, you need to be careful who comes into your garden when you are growing. Becoming… Continue reading »

Do-Over Year

24 Friday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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Every day I get older.

But this week the number I write on forms, and answer when people ask (because EVERYONE thinks I’m at least 5 if not 10 years younger than I look) changes.

Yup I’m a new number this week. And it’s great. Especially because for a whole year (2012) I thought I was a year older than I am. I have no idea how that happened. BUT I think it’s awesome. Because it’s now my official do-over year.

Yup. My do-over. Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

22 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Bits of Truth, Coaching, Freebies, Truth Cards

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Art Therapy, authenticity, Coaching, Counseling, Courage, Depression, encourage, freebie, Healing, journeys, Life Coaching, perspective, Self-Help, Self-Worth, Spirituality, Spring, Transformation, Truth, truth card, TWLOHA, Well Being

Dear Soul that is always in motion.

A very wise man once wrote:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, & a time to pluck that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Sweet sweet soul, so much to do and going back and forth. And it never ends. Continue reading »

Seeing Dead People

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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When it comes to movies, nothing’s a bigger pet-peeve than a guessable plot. An obvious outcome.

If the plot is apparent within the first 30 minutes, I lose interest. In fact I have zero reason to stay fascinated with the storyline, unless it’s being done by a favorite actor (who might also do impeccable impression of a swaggery pirate that rarely does a blasé movie).

Rather, I like the unexpected twist.
The thing no one saw coming.
Like…, “I see dead people.”

Yeah, that blew me away.
Along with the rest of the movie watchers.
We.Had.NOOOO.Idea. Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Bits of Truth, Coaching, Freebies, Truth Cards

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Hello Healing Soul.

You did all the hard work.
Gave grace.
To them.
To you.
And you were on the road to better.

Then suddenly…
without warning,
you slide right back into the place you left
(2, 5, 8, 10, or 12 steps ago).

The place where you were spiraling down, and now you’re entering that dark abyss…again. Continue reading »

I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants

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Art Journaling, Art Therapy, Beauty, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Faith, Healing, Hope, Journal, Journals, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mentoring, Prayer, Self Image, Self-Help, self-portrait, Self-Worth, Spirit-Led, Spirituality, success, Transformation, Well Being

So hey. I’ve been wanting to tell you…

I push buttons.

(with love, and care, and because you deserve to feel something)

I ask questions that result with a, “Wait! What?”

(because that question jolted your noodle-bowl to have deeper understanding of yourself)

I say uncomfortable stuff.

(because you deserve nothing more than the truth, the loving honest, in-your-gut truth) Continue reading »

Bits of Truth

08 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Bits of Truth, Coaching, Freebies, Truth Cards

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Art Journaling, Art Therapy, authenticity, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Courage, Depression, encourage, Faith, freebie, Healing, Inspiration, Journal Prompts, Life Coaching, Self-Help, Self-Worth, Spirituality, Transformation, Truth, truth card, TWLOHA, Visual Inspiration, Well Being

Oh Broken Bits of a Soul.

I know this is rough.
I know this feels impossible.
I know that sometimes it seems like it won’t let up.
And I know that finding mortar to put back together the broken bits is beyond your strength.

I know because I’ve been there.

Sometimes the answers don’t come easy.
Just hold on.
There is light coming.
No matter how distant you think.
There is light coming.

So while you wait…find a person, a healthy self-care something,
a faith to rest into until the light arrives.
Until the Masoner with mortar for your soul, the Healer of broken bits, helps put it back together.

Bit
by
bit.
Morning
by
morning, new mercies you’ll see.

It is of your Maker’s mercies that you are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness… (lam 3:22-23) Continue reading »

Despite the Ease. We Made It.

03 Friday May 2013

Posted by Sherry Meneley in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Music / Story Videos, Rambles and Rants

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Art Journaling, Art Therapy, Beauty, Christian Living, Coaching, Counseling, Faith, Healing, Hope, Journal, Journals, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mentoring, Prayer, Self Image, Self-Help, self-portrait, Self-Worth, Shane Koyczan, Spirit-Led, Spirituality, success, Transformation, Well Being

beauty I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean toward the opposite.

I heard this line and stopped.
Stopped breathing.
Just for a moment.
Because… well…
isn’t this true for all of us?

See, I talk with clients about their thoughts, the ones that bring pain, all the time. Even clients who don’t think this is an issue–discover it is. Over and over our reoccurring painful thoughts tell us we are wrong, unloveable, outcast, misfits, unworthy. And I don’t judge a single soul for thinking this way…because we’re all the same. Somehow hard-wired–on some level–to consider we deserve less love. Less grace.
From others.
From ourself.
From God.

So yes, the moment I heard that line: I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean toward the opposite — I knew it was worth committing to memory. Continue reading »

Sherry Meneley | Embracing Your Creative WholeHearted Life | Artist | Teacher | Creativity & Life Coach

~ Sherry Meneley | Embracing Your Creative WholeHearted Life | Artist | Teacher | Creativity & Life Coach

Bits of Truth

On Being a Gracist – Part I

Bits of Truth

Smiggles and Big Burley

Bits of Truth

bits of heART

The Day It Almost Died

Bits of Truth

Do-Over Year

Bits of Truth

Seeing Dead People

Bits of Truth

I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You

Bits of Truth

Despite the Ease. We Made It.