laughing at impossibilities

I won’t share photo progress. It is way too messy. Three weeks ago I pulled up the dark green indoor/outdoor carpet on the porch. It was here when I got the house in 1993 and was the only carpet in the house. The porch is definitely a favorite place for cats and me so the dreams of change started long ago. This seemed the year to tackle it.

About 4 years ago I pulled back a corner to see how easy it might be removed. Didn’t seem too hard. I started looking for flooring, reading about how to remove the carpet glue and didn’t realize there was linoleum gunk in there too. I just finished grinding down the last section to pretty clean cement! WOW – what a lightness to the space!

We all have some dreams. Whether it be with a house project, improving relationships, starting a garden, joining a ministry or even a new career. Sometimes NOW is not the time, but keep the dreams alive! Read, improve, learn. Put into action what you’re able to now and write, journal or draw what it WILL be like.

Dreams do come true but with a cost and daring to keep it alive!

“Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees,
And looks to God alone;
Laughs at impossibilities,
And cries it shall be done.”
Charles Wesley

We are ALL called to dream BIG dreams! With God – nothing is impossible.

restart

When you haven’t blogged in so long, where do you restart?

ANY where!

My journals are overloaded. My home has gotten more attention in 2020 than when I first purchased it and so many things collected and stored over the years have vacated the premises! I’m not done yet – weaving loom and kayak went this month and definitely more to go.

Restoring Waters – oil on canvas Psalm 23

It’s been quite a season of purging, pruning and preparing. I’m not sure which is harder.

As I went through multiple file cabinets, bookshelves and closets – memories were flooding. Some days were difficult. The house often seemed more of a mess as I was “cleaning” out. Doing my office work from home was helpful and gave more time to the tasks but some days it also made it harder not having much of an escape from the feelings that would flood.

Files, manuals, books and more were shredded and recycled while the weather was still in coolness. Years of ministry, history and dreams that seemed to have unnatural deaths were released. Walls, windows, ceilings, doors were painted as sunshine started to warm things this spring. I had one winter project of wallpaper and paint in the kitchen, I never expected to do so much more. Spring/Summer project was to paint the outside of my house. Windows were done last fall and some testing of new color on the aluminum siding of the garage. I felt comfortable to BEGIN on the house. With a few weeks of reduced hours and time saved from traveling to the office, I have most of the exterior painted. A dream for years that finally will come to be!

Yes – pandemic and distancing is impacting but it doesn’t have to stop us from life and accomplishing dreams. I am really feeling the NEW God has in store has a place to come to life! I’ve done my part for the new wine skin and He has definitely been doing His part in preparing me too!

Dare to dream again – so many of our limitations are in our own thoughts and the words we speak of limitations.

Dare to believe in His immeasurably more! All things are possible – will you believe?

dream a little

Still In Process – Oil and cold wax medium
18x24x2 (that means it’s not finished)

I think I’m supposed to stay on this topic a bit and ask a few questions. Hopefully you will take some time to ponder. Most people understand the Bucket List idea and things they want to do before they leave this earth. Often those are things for personal gratification (not saying that’s bad – I have a spa day on my list!), but there’s also a lot of people young and older that are wondering….

What is my life purpose?
What will I do with kids grown?
How can I change my career?
Can I make a difference?

I strongly feel God designed each of us with great purpose. Things that would touch our hearts and also bless others. I’ve read many great books on the topic but here I’m sharing the dreaming with God process. God had me write and lead a couple classes on this years ago so it’s interesting He’s having me revisit it here.

At the beginning of my journey with Christ – I did not understand about hearing Gods voice. But now that I do, I definitely see things much differently. One of the very potent words He shared with me:

“Your heart has a passion that has been neglected.
Let it come again. Let it be breathed with life again.”

One of my passions while I was young was to create art. The responsible and better paying way of life was business college and doing accounting things. Later in life that led to a bachelors in business management and ministry leadership. Neither of those were in my young dreams but God brought NEW dreams to life along the way. REMEMBER: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!

The dreams of art were buried in a deep closet. Forgotten in the logical fog of numbers and spreadsheets. UNTIL – I had finished college and missed taking classes. Several things led me to an art class. You might say and the rest is history but it was only the beginning!

Today I pray that you will take some time to dig in your closet for that passion that never had a chance before. That you would see what step you could take to let it be breathed back to life. That God would give you the courage and the opportunity to dust it off and try it on again. Pro sports might not be good at age 60 but I’m sure He can show you more! Have a beautiful day!

holy holy holy

Out of the Darkness – oil and cold wax medium 12×12 panel

You may have grown up in church and felt very comfortable with the word HOLY. I did not. I felt like the most unworthy, dirtiest girl who was beyond even speaking those words.

I had been in churches, prayed that sinners prayer, sprinkle baptized and more but still did not “feel” clean, worthy or free. It wasn’t for lack of effort. Years later with journal and bible study everyday and still this sense of guilt, shame, and more.

I learned a valuable lesson – there is an enemy that wants me to stay in the mud as a friend would put it years later. BUT…. I made a decision that I wanted to find the closeness with Jesus that David talked about in the Psalms. I wanted to understand how Saul/Paul could have such a turn around in his life to write such inspiring words in the New Testament. Deep was calling out to deep in me.

You might be surprised at how it happens…. ASK, SEEK, KNOCK. Matthew 7

Philippians came to mind – Chapter 3 TPT
¹² I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. ¹³ I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. ¹⁴ I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. ¹⁵ So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. ¹⁶ And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.

I pray you ask God to show you how much He really cares. That you will seek to understand His heart for you and keep knocking. Knocking down the walls that you feel have you separated, keep knocking off the lies that say you are unworthy and keep knocking on the doors of heaven to see from that seat that is right there with Jesus at God’s right hand. He has so much more to share with us now!

God wants you to know that you have been made Holy!
Not just that He is holy but that you are holy!

from mess to rest

Rough Spots – oil and cold wax medium on 18×24 panel

We all have things going on in our lives that aren’t the best, that try our patience, that test our resolve, even making us doubt our sanity. I can just imagine how Saul (Paul) felt as he went after those who were called Christians to destroy them. Then finding himself blinded, healed and changed. That could certainly be called a rough spot. Yet he learned the place of rest.

Do you think he had some understanding of what we would go through in a world that seems to magnify even more the dysfunction and depravity that he was part of?

His writings are filled with such wisdom for someone who came far in the world without knowing Jesus and then went so much further after his surrender to the Lord. Especially considering he wasn’t one who walked with Jesus for those three years.

His writings share so much that there is hope, there is possibility, there is more to this life on earth – not just after death. We don’t find it in striving to understand through our earthly eyes but only in resting in the truth of His Word, His ways and who He says we are.

I pray today you will remember that there is nothing impossible for God. That even those who seem far away from Him can become the closest. I pray with you that those who don’t know God’s goodness, grace and joy will encounter Him today!

If you need help finding that resting spot, I suggest digging into the writings of Paul in Corinthians, Colossians or Romans or send me a message. He wants to give you His best!!!

denial to disciple

Several new paintings are waiting for final touches.  As this rooster sat on the wall staring at me, so many thoughts of Simon/Peter’s story came to mind. After finishing touches as I was doing more of the engraving, the words “chicken scratch” came very strong.

The original painting was a realistic rooster that never felt finished. I was going to totally cover it up then thought to leave some realism in with the abstract.

As I thought of Simon/Peter, the first engravings in one layer of paint were, “denial – one – two – three”.

Jesus wasn’t surprised by that denial. He even told Simon/Peter it would happen.

I looked up the name Simon – in Greek it means flat or snub nosed. I think we can say he “snubbed” Jesus and as said – before the rooster crowed.

I also found great hope in this painting and the Simon (Peter) story. You could say Simon didn’t know how the denial would turn out but Jesus told him quite clearly when he spoke the name he would be known by…

Matthew 16:15-19 NIV
¹⁵ …Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades  will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

There was a depth to their relationship. Jesus was calling out the GOLD in Simon – that he would be Cephas (Peter), the rock!

Denial was in his history. The chicken scratch of past – not the ROCK of his future!

Your life has a message from Jesus too! We need to be like Peter and willing to hear it from the Lord as He calls us to our future. The world needs what we are carrying! We were made for such a time as this!

I pray that this week, you will hear the call of God to be ALL that He created you to be. That you would have courage to step forward to ALL that He has in store for you! Thank you Jesus for this gift of life on earth – as it is in heaven!

 

 

you are treasured

Shoreline Treasures

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3

I remember thinking I was so unworthy of God’s love, goodness or grace. Guilt and lies had hung a cord of shame around my neck that continued to chock off hope.

BUT THEN….

God loves to do MIGHTY things in our lives when we decide to surrender.

I’ve learned that I have to keep on surrendering! It’s like a great dam that has been built is being dismantled bit by bit and releasing treasures as the new water churns up those jewels that were buried further and further by my choices, life influences and the lies of the world.

Thank you Lord that everyone of us has reason to HOPE when we have You! That You truly never leave or forsake and always want to lavish Your love on us. Let us learn to surrender more AND receive the wonders that are uncovered from the depths!

write this down

holy and blameless

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 ESV

I recently met someone who was practicing her hearing from God and shared with me. She felt to ask me if would write things in a journal. I said YES. A lot!!! She was relieved because it meant she was also on track in her hearing. She expanded to say I needed to review my journals. I had to tell her that I do that regularly too! She smiled bigger and shared a bit more. It was a very good God confirmation and some direction of all that has been written outside of this blog.

Many places in God’s word talk about us writing things, sharing with others, and the word of our testimony.

Our lives matter.
What God is doing in them matters.
We ARE the mouthpiece for the Lord.
What are your words and writings saying…

And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 MSG

processing

Some days just call for paint…
Starting somewhere – some known and unknown ideas – always more to come.

I am taking more photos documenting the ways my paintings evolve. I’m noticing I don’t always take the same approach and I frequently find His wisdom along the way.

We are always in process.
God knows where refining is needed.
Blending can bring out the best color.
Sometimes drying between layers gives the best effect.
Complete is an individuals viewpoint. 
Doing something you like brings peace.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4 NIV

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

Thank you Jesus for the blessings of friendship, encouraging words, companionship and painting. Thank you for being always present and never lacking. Sharing Your imagination in and through us. Let us be fountains of grace and love through this week – for Your glory and Your story, because it’s not really about us!

 

expressing love

holy and blameless

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6

Galations 5:4-6 Message

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior:
faith expressed in love.