Signs of Summer

Most people watch for robins for signs of Spring.  I watch for hummingbirds and dragonflies for signs of summer.  Something about the size of these little creatures delight me.  Also, I am delighted to see the lightning bugs!  They sparkle the night.  Butterflies are so delicate and have such wonderful colors.  God made creatures great and small, but how much more I enjoy the small ones! 

BUTTERFLIES IN FLIGHT 

Have a Blessed Day!

A Day Of Learning

Some days I seem to have everything at my fingertips; and then there are those other days when nothing seems to go my way. Those latter days are what I call my day of learning.  I try to reason through the day and figure out my reaction to those obstacles. Am I being stubborn, unforgiving, or self-centered?  God allows obstacles to strengthen our faith in Him.  But, in order for our faith to become strong, we have to work through our problems and our reaction to them.

Anything that we want to accomplish is achieved the same way, by working our way through it.  Whether it is saving money, losing weight, or trying a new technique in painting, we have to plan our process and take the steps to fulfillment.

Here is a cypress knee I have painted. Cypress trees grow in a lake near here created by the backflow of the Mississippi in the 1811 earthquake. The knees are knobby growths that spring up from the roots and are called knees.  Special license must be obtained to cut the knees.  Then the knees have to have the bark peeled, cleaned and sanded to be ready for one's imagination to unfold. This is a penguin family.

The father is looking upward, the mother looking downward at their offspring.

I also post on Tuesdays at  A Passion for Painting giving tips and techniques on painting.  Check out the site for other artists that belong to this guild.

Thank you for visiting. I look forward to your comments. Have a blessed day!

WHAT A TESTIMONY OF FAITH

The past few weeks have not been easy for some people. In fact, as you know from news, the storms have wreaked havoc with losses of property and lives.  Joplin-ites have shown a wonderful testimony of faith that should be shown on every news channel and spoken from every preacher's mouth. The scenes I have seen of people pulling together to help each other speaks volumes of their faith.  Only one who has experienced such a deep loss could feel their pain.  Yet I see victory in their efforts and of those who have responded to give them aid.



How often do we allow the inconveniences of life interfere with our faith? If we allow minor disruptions to cast doubt, what would we do in a situation described above? Or, in spite of despair, do we continue to trust God? Only you can answer.

Be Blessed!

SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

As an artist I often see what isn't there, until I have painted it. Much as someone may stare at the clouds and see images, I see what isn't yet on the canvas.  Sometimes what I see isn't what actually gets painted!  Maybe it is that I try to see too much or that the image I conceive is beyond my ability to paint.

I thought of this as I looked out my window and saw these trees. I saw a shape that my husband didn't see even though I tried to point it out to him.  He said we see things differently.  Here is a photo of the trees. Do you see an animal head?  I saw it and when the wind blew the whole head and neck seemed to react going back and forth.  It didn't break the shape!

The image is in the center of the photo. Yes, those are Christmas lights still up in May. :)  We call them party lights, they are white and blue and create a soft glow.  Try this image: (click on images to enlarge)

My highlighting efforts didn't show up much, but the head is outlined with a circle.

Sometimes what I see in my own work as imperfections, such as too bright, too dark, not the right shape, others see as a nice highlight, the dark balances the light, and just as in nature there is no perfect shape.

This abstract of flowers isn't exactly what I had envisioned. Sorry for the glare, I took the photo at night and needed the flash.

In life, events aren't exactly as we plan either. God has our life planned and we don't always see the overall picture. He doesn't let us know what is ahead.

He doesn't judge by outward appearances either. He knows our heart. He sees things differently!

PS: I don't always know what I am going to post, until I get a "Hint".  So bear with me as I try to post on Friday - but sometimes I don't see the message!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope I give you something to think about each week.

God Bless You!

Learning the Wrong Lesson

Khalil Gibran wrote he who has not looked on sorrow will never see joy.

It takes a rainfall to see a rainbow.
I have had a lot of rain and a few storms in my life. And because my faith wasn’t as strong, I lost joy along the way. Some of it was due to lack of expectation. If I didn’t get my hopes up too high, I didn’t fall as hard when it rained. In other words, I let the fear of disappointment rob me of expecting joy.


To put in terms of art, I became rather monotone. No brights and no darks. Rather a muddy and dull composition if I had put that on canvas. Yet, I didn’t recognize that in my life. My happy days could have been much brighter.


Fear Not. I wonder how many times that appears in the Bible. God spoke it, Jesus spoke it and certainly the angels spoke it. Now when I awaken my thoughts are ‘it is going to be a great day!’ Certainly any day in the Lord is a great day. Fear Not: Whatever befalls I know God is going to see me through it. He saw me through the rain and storms even when I didn’t trust He was there. Although I was saved as a child, I didn’t learn to study the Bible. I didn’t know that God was truly a Father who cared about His children. I thought it was only about going to heaven when you died. Slowly I have studied more, read various authors, and learned much. I am going to continue to do so.

I hope everyone experienced a Happy Mothers' Day. I took time off to renew my spirit.

I am so happy to see my followers and I hope you do get as much reading my thoughts, as I do posting them. Thank you! Have a blessed day!

DAILY BREAD

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread


How often food is mentioned in the Bible. Moses and his people were given manna to sustain themselves in the desert, but told to only gather what would be eaten that day. Jesus turns water into wine. And barrels are filled with oil. Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about food and drink. Jesus takes the small loaves and fish and feeds multitudes. Jesus shares bread with his disciples before his being crucified. What about, “man does not live by bread alone.”

Yet does bread have other meanings? Of course it did for the Lord’s Supper. But how do we apply it in our daily lives? I don’t think we are meant to sit idly by and expect to be fed, clothed, or housed. The disciples were on a mission to spread God’s word – that was their occupation.


I am reading Elisabeth Elliot, author of God’s Guidance, A Slow & Certain Light, with Study Guide. It is a study on the Lord’s Prayer. How many times have we recited this model of prayer, yet be immune to its meaning? Do we even think about it, or is it something we have memorized and repeat without thought. When we petition Him for bread, we are acknowledging that God is our provider of all things. In her book, she “likes to picture the Lord handing me a platter at the beginning of each new day. On it are the things he has chosen as best for me, and my prayer for daily bread is answered. My part is to receive whatever he gives. Guidance for a decision that need not be final until next Wednesday may require one small move or commitment today. I accept that and act on it without haggling with God because he has not yet granted me all the information I’m itching for. Perhaps patience is his gift of bread for today, or quietness, or the gift of uncertainty, that I may rest in his love, confident that when the time is ripe, the guidance will be clear.”


Certainly a more thoughtful interpretation than I had given it. How about you? What are your thoughts? I write to express my thoughts, but I do appreciate hearing from you.


Have a blessed day!

HAPPY EASTER

Wishing you many blessings this Easter. I'll be meditating on God's will for me. I hope you will do the same.  Is it enough for Him to know that the desire of my heart is to serve him?

No art today- nothing can compare with His Glory.

Thanks for stopping by.