get ready

Atmosphere of Peace – oil and cold wax 16x16x2 panel

This week will be putting together art, words, ideas and preparing for the installation that is coming quickly. Already issues are trying to make things difficult, but flexibility and knowing God’s always there helps to keep the focus on what needs to come. Prayer and time with the Lord helps to keep the mind on what is true, noble, right, pure … what is excellent or praiseworthy! (Philippians 4:8)

I love how His word sustains, encourages and guides.

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ” John 14:23-27

Thank you Lord that your Word continues to speak. I pray that Your peace would be with each person reading and be felt in a deeper way this week. Help our hearts and minds stay focused on Your truths! All things are possible!

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!!!

into the new

New Movement

After not blogging for 18 months, where does one start again? My life has shifted tremendously to working full-time outside of my house.

2017 included a lot of gallery time and creating in a group project for ArtPrize. Five artists worked on a piece we did in honor of The Red Cross. You will find plenty of photos and info on the Zeeland Artists facebook page.

It was a very unique season to shift from the ministry of counsel to helping with a couple people with Alzheimer’s. They both recently passed into the freedom with God in heaven. God moved in many amazing ways in both of their journeys.

Writing has been much more of personal journal time and I have been creating a variety of new paintings. Expanding my encaustic (hot wax and oil) and emerging myself in coldwax medium that is mixed with oils. I’ll be sharing a bit from all of those areas.

I look forward to how God will bring new life, new words, new art in this season of NEW THINGS – in my life and in yours!

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19

Peace to you all – jude

dare to ask

Lines

Here’s a good question to ask God. “What’s on your heart Lord?”

My people are hurting…they need the love of the Father. The perfect love that takes away all fear, that empowers with wonder and overcomes all the odds. It’s a joyous part of the journey that overcomes all obstacles and tears down all boundaries. No walls can keep Me away when you say “Yes Papa”.

Call to me, I will answer! I am here, sense My presence. My heart is for you. It is filled with abundance, receive my child, receive my goodness. I withhold no good thing from those who ask. Ask and it will be given, ask, I am waiting and I am willing. Ask.

Are you asking?
Is it just a motion or are you expecting His answer?
Are you taking time to listen?

Ask Him to share a verse, a word, a picture, a song. Write it down and ask Him again to explain why He shared that. So many of our thoughts are God’s promptings. He knows us so intimately.

This LINK will share with you several verses on how long God really has known you!

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8

Seldom going to give us what we desire until we ASK.

Heavenly Father – thank you that You know us so well. You know just what we need, what we are facing with trails, relationships and questions. You know who we are going to encounter today. Over and over in Your word, you tell us that all we have to do is ask. It’s not about our works but about Your goodness. We ASK Lord to know Your heart better. We ASK Lord to have great wisdom and revelation in our knowledge of You. We ASK Lord that You would prepare us and those we need to share Your love with. We ASK for earthly relationships restored. We ASK for healing and wholeness for those sick and confused. We ASK for peace to surround our world. And we ASK to hear Your voice with a new clarity that increases each day. We give thanks Lord that Your sheep hear Your voice and another they will not follow! 

knowing the heart

Matter of the Heart

I woke to the words “there is a way that seems right but it leads to death” I was familiar with the verse but not where… Prov 14 verse 12

Why this message Lord?

The world is looking to things of man not what is the heavenly realm. I bring eternity to those who will seek me. I’m planting seeds of discontent with what the world is showing people. They will rise up and receive great grace when they seek me with all of their heart.

So many are giving lip service but not heart surrender. I long to have that heart communion with them. It’s not a matter of the mind but of the heart.

God isn’t looking for people successful in the worldly ways but in kingdom ways. He doesn’t need more Pharisee’s and teachers of the law, but a Bride who knows Him – like the humble followers of Jesus.

God wants us to know Him!

Think of the many earthly relationships you have… what are your conversations about? We seldom ask about the passions, the desires of the heart. We can read a book about a person but that is only a segment of who they are. There are many chapters unwritten and it is the same with our Lord.

The sacrifice and redemption of Christ isn’t just for our eternal desination but to tear down ALL the separation that was brought in the garden and beyond. Christ did not die just clothe us and cover our shame but to remove it as far as the east is from the west so that we can once again walk openly in the garden with Him.

You might say I’m just one of the unique ones that hears from God…not really. You are hearing Him too.

Chose today not to put His voice aside. Ask Him what is on His heart. His greatest desire is for ALL to know Him. 

Forgive me Lord for the ways I push Your voice aside. I want to know You more. I want to have more conversations with You and know Your heart in a fuller way. Thank you that Christ in us is the hope of glory and You never leave us or forsake us. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening….

more than enough

“Shower of Blessings: Are you open to receive?”

I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

Don’t Put It Off

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:1-11

heir to what

Royalty

What does it look like to be an heir? 

Our earthly definition is a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death OR a person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor.

What you are heir to depends on who died.

Did you inherit debt, investments, pets, or homes? Maybe someone left you a car, painting, business or ministry.

Generally an heir receives things that were previously part of the deceased person’s life. Seems pretty basic, right?

Why do we as believers in Christ, His Word and His kingdom, feel “we have to die” before we receive our inheritance? 

Who are we inheriting from then?
How can we inherit from ourselves?

(Yes, I have these wonderful conversations with God. Thankfully He’s gracious in His sharing and continues to tell me to Ask, Seek, Knock.)

Reading, studying, meditating, and praying through God’s word isn’t just brownie points, its learning God’s ways and seeking to understand Him more.

The death of Jesus gave each and every believer an eternal inheritance. That clock starts when the moment we say YES to him. It doesn’t have to wait for our earthly death. Jesus already passed on the inheritance at the cross.

Take some time in these coming days to ask the Lord what your inheritance is through Jesus’ death. I don’t think we’ll all get the same answers.

It seems like a Trust Fund to me. The more we mature, the more He can trust us, the more we will see and experience. It’s not all released at once but it’s all saved up for later either.

Lord, thank you that You give good and perfect gifts to Your children. That you have not left any of us as orphans without hope but love to lavish on us. Help us to know and understand Your ways and seek Your goodness – on earth as it is in heaven. 

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

The good Samaritan story – GO AND DO LIKEWISE. Luke 10

how big is your God

Where’s Your Focus?

As I read a journal note about worldviews and putting God in a box, that question continued.

How big is your God?

Is the God you are believing in the same one who created the heavens and the earth? Is your God the one who brought the plagues and stood up the sea to save His people? Is He the ALMIGHTY ONE who sent His SON so you could be FREE? Is the God you believe in one you will trust? Is He bigger than cancer, wiser than the government and stronger than any natural disaster?

Why are we trying to keep Him in a little box?

Maybe it’s more important to ask why are we keeping ourselves in a box?

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 NLT

Forgive us Lord for the ways we have been limiting You and limiting ourselves. Your word says that with You nothing is impossible. It says with You, nothing is too difficult. Thank you Lord that we can trust completely in You and can walk in Your ways. Guide us through this week Lord. Let us see more clearly the fullness of Your love and know the goodness of Your heart. That our lives will be lived for Your glory!! 

 

about you or who

“Garden Cherub”

Another impacting point was about Kingdom and church. Depending on where you look, there are over 300 references to kingdom and about 100 for church. Jesus was all about revealing the Father and His Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.

Our churches often seem more interested in attendance, numbers and quality of the worship and message. In other words…about man’s opinion more than God’s opinion.

In a theology class in college, our study of Revelation required us to write on which of the seven churches our body of believers was most like. An interesting method of evaluation. What does “lukewarm” really look like?

We can know so much in our earthly viewpoint but if we aren’t in tune with God’s kingdom viewpoint (or thermometer) – we might not be as hot as we think.

A further thought of mine…
Jesus didn’t come to create or prepare a church, but a bride.

How is your church doing at being the bride?
You might want to study what the bible has to say about the bride.

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Matthew 25:10

Help us Lord – to see as You see and do what You need us to do. Guide us with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of YOU instead of the knowledge of this world. That we would understand further. 

 

 

kingdom quandry

Royalty

Jesus came saying the Kingdom is at hand. Matthew 4:17
The Kingdom belongs to the children. Matthew 19
Jesus says his Kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

The Kingdom is within in you. Luke 17:21

It’s not only about Jesus our Savior – but the one who has brought the Kingdom to us.

Lord – reveal to our spirits what it truly means to know the Kingdom is within us. Let us see with Your eyes as we seek to know and understand Your abundant grace…