Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pitchers & Cup Painting


Trying my hand at painting realism in oils. After all these years of my love of abstract in acrylics, this is a new challenge.
Oils always intimidated me, but I'm thoroughly enjoying learning how to paint with oils. I know I have a long way to go, but here's my latest attempt.
God gave me the talent. Now it's up to me to work hard, practice this art a multitude of hours and I will be able to give this gift back to God as an offering of love.
Praying Girl

Sunday, January 24, 2010

New Every Morning

It's a new day. Nothing has changed since yesterday except a good night's sleep. All the problems and challenges from yesterday remain. They seek to cloud my mind, fill me with fear and disappointment. And, yet...I am happy.

It's a miracle and not a small one in my understanding. I woke up this morning and started to go down that familiar and comfortable road of mentally listing all my fears and challenges. Somewhere along that path, however, I stopped. I turned my focus toward God. No matter what challenges I face, His Almighty Hand is already upon me. He will help me by either fixing the problems, changing the circumstances or changing me. That's a miracle to me. I am thankful that I know Him and His lovingkindness.


"My soul still remembers
And sinks within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD's mercies
we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness
'The LORD is my portion,'
says my soul,
'Therefore I hope in Him!'
The LORD is good to those who
wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope
and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD."

Lamentations 3:20-26

On this glorious Sunday morning, I eagerly await the mercies of the LORD and look forward with hope because His steadfast love never ceases and His mercies never come to an end. They are indeed new every morning.

Praying Girl
The photo was taken in front of St. John Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Summer of 2009.



Friday, January 22, 2010

A Good Samaritan Tale (or Tail)

We found this dog wandering our neighborhood last Sunday. I had seen him earlier in the week and realized he was either lost or abandoned. When we got home from church and he was heading out of our front yard, I called, "Here, boy!" and he came bounding toward me with his tail wagging.

He was quite thin, so we put him in the back yard and for a week we have been fattening him up. Every day he wrapped himself a little tighter around my heart strings. I tried desperately to find his home, but to no avail.

Yesterday, I was thinking about what name to give him. The temperature was supposed to drop to 30 degrees and I was going to bring him inside, give him a bath, and make him a part of our family of pets--a dog, a cat and a bird.

Little did I know that he had other ideas. When I arrived at home last night, he was gone. I will always wonder where he went, how he is, if he's warm and fed, and if he found his home.

It's a Good Samaritan tale of sorts. If I had left him running loose, was I doing my duty to protect God's creatures? I know the Good Samaritan story from the Bible, Luke 10:29-37 is about people, but for this one week, I think it was about this dog. I could have easily passed him by or called the Animal Shelter to pick him up (and I nearly did this, but my Grandson wouldn't hear of it!).

I learned that it's not always easy to do the right thing, but in the end it feels so good. I will miss this sweet black dog. I hope he found his way home.

Praying Girl

Friday, January 1, 2010

Star Shepherd

Star Shepherd
Acrylic painting on canvas
24" x 48"

This painting was inspired by a December 22, 2009 devotional reading in Our Daily Bread and listening to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God CD.

Scripture inspiration:
Isaiah 40:25-27
"To whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One,
Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Isreal: "My way is hidden from the LORD,
And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
King James Version