Drawing in His Presence

Drawing in His Presence

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

"What a Bute"

"What a Bute"
Watercolor on Yupo
9"x11"
     I've wanted to paint this beautiful rooster all summer.  His name is Shoulders, due to his beautiful black shoulders on a white body that he sported as a young chick.  Agreeing to purchase him, along with the act of holding him, feeding him, and keeping him warm at night was a demonstration of the goodness of God.  I had grown up with a horrific fear of birds.  I'd carried that fear all of my life.  I remember back in college during a drawing class in which the professor mandated that we draw using a stuffed pheasant as our model.  I was so afraid of birds that I couldn't do the project.  Nor, could I even stay in the same room with that stuffed bird!  I acknowledged the beauty of birds, but for me a bird meant terror, and so many times an out and out attack.  The national bird of Costa Rica even made a low dive at me on a swinging bridge in the rain forest.  I remember screaming as my back hit the deck in desperation.  My husband said if he had not have witnessed it, he would never have believed it.  Over a year ago, I attended a Christian retreat, called Identity Weekend.  My good friends Curtis and Heather Ward put this together several times a year.  It was at that weekend that I faced where that fear came from and determined to get rid of it!  To God's glory, "it" is gone!  Gone! Gone! Gone!  Now, I can enjoy these beautiful creatures.  Now, I wonder....how in the world could I have ever been afraid of such a thing?  What are you afraid of?  Fear is a horrible thing.  Whether it is afraid of the dark, the water, flying, a snake, or just a bird.  You don't have to keep it hanging around making you miserable.  God didn't give us fear.  He gave us power and love, and  a sound mind.  Power to say no to fear.  It's time to say no.  Amen.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

On Earth as it is in Heaven

This was painted during worship at Emmanuel Fellowship during the first service, this past Sunday morning. I used a FULL sheet of YUPO (which was a challenge), along with alcohol inks and NO brushes. It was really fun.  I kept thinking about "Heaven On Earth", as I worshiped through the painting process. I learned so many things while doing this.

  I just returned from a mission trip in Uganda, Africa where we did street crusades, and ministered in churches.  The travel was difficult, and conditions were hard in areas.  I learned that I'll survive even though I "pee" in my shoes multiple times on accident, discover stickery, prickly  leaves as toilet paper, have to use my just rinsed undies for a wash cloth in my cold shower, live on mostly potatoes, rice, and yummy chapati bread, and have a whole new appreciation for baby wipes.  I discovered a new level of compassion and love for these people as I saw their heart for survival and for the Lord.  I saw such a willingness and honor in them when they were willing to give up their banana matt for someone else to sleep on, and saw several thousand people in the refugee camp with no place to go, living like animals.  Yet, the joy in their eyes told me that even in their desperate condition there is "HOPE".  I was reminded of the dream that the Lord gave me two years ago, in which I was in a refugee camp in Africa speaking to mostly women, giving them "HOPE".  Although I didn't get to minister or speak, I did get to hug, squeeze, and smile.  And now, I get to pray for the HOPE of their glory to come.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Come.  On earth as it is in heaven....in that camp.  Come, Lord.