“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And this is eternal life, that thou might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work thou gavest me to do”.

The work of Jesus Christ was to save us completely and forever by His blood. Salvation is now offered as a free gift. Look for the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.  Wait patiently for him to be revealed. He is coming in the rapture of his church to take His church home. This is our blessed hope. Life eternal is forever! We are transient in this life. Life is quickly passing away for all of us. The most profound truth is that nothing in this life lasts, except our faith in Jesus Christ. Hope in Him is eternal! It will never make one ashamed or disappointed.

The truth is Jesus is real, faith in Him is real, and heaven and hell are real. This life is just like a shell, at death, the shell breaks open, we step out and are forever who we are, where we are.  Eternal life is free and available now! But this offer won’t last forever. We are sinners, in debt to a Holy God, our Creator, and He has so graciously offered to save us freely by his grace alone. It’s as if it’s a close out, not even a big mark down or sale. It’s free! Jesus is offering us salvation from the death penalty of sin. He decreed, “for the soul that sinneth shall surely die.” If we will simply trust Him alone and his shed blood on the cross as payment for our sins,and receive by faith from Him this payment, we will live forever with Him, having been forgiven all our trespasses. The store, this world, is closing soon. Today is the day of salvation! Tomorrow will be too late. The store will soon be gone. Anyone can come and receive freely of His grace. Jesus said ” cone to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. He calls to us daily. ” Look to Me all ye the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.” Anyone who comes to me, I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus makes a tremendous promise to us.  Again, He implores us, ” Everyone who seeth the Son and believeth on Him hath eternal life and I will raise Him up at the last day.” What incredible promises from the Saviour! The Son of God promises to save all who simply ask in faith and trust Him alone. He further calls, ” Come and drink of the waters freely, without cost. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Revelation 21:6

This world has no lasting peace, only fleeting lust which shall all soon pass away. Yesterday I was walking through a big department store and all I wanted was to buy something, anything, just to have something new!  Something to take home. The smell of the store, the lighting, the crisp new tagged items, all beckoned me to respond and flooded my senses with desire for more. Yet, as so many times before, when I hit that dopamine button in my head and buy something, the reward is fleeting and transient, and by the time I get home it’s gone. The purchased treasure doesn’t look like it did in the store, as I push it into an already full closet. After I’ve worn it a few times , it’s just an old rag. The happy pill doesn’t last, it can’t! We were made for more than that.

Jesus Christ saves and the peace He gives lasts! This life and all it’s stuff will soon be gone, wrapped up and thrown away. But Jesus abides forever! The hope He gives is new every morning as it grows brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.

Something new. That is the theme of this post as I am discovering in the spring of 2025 a new and exciting focus for my art and one I want to share with you. The sweet and homespun images of life in the country, the beauty of nature and the wholesomeness of simple things. I’ve enjoyed many forms of art and have edeavored to learn new skills and new appreciation for different styles but as of late my heart has settled on the simplicity of these heartwarming images of a quiet life, in the backdrop of nature with the heart of and beauty of life at home. This type of art speaks to the deeper things in my life and the ones that truly matter, nature, love of family, a simple life and love for my Saviour.

This image speaks of life on the farm. The laundry hung out to dry, the sheep are feasting on dandelions and buttercups while the ducks and peepers frolic about in the pond. The sun is high and the sky blue and the optimism and hope of a soon to be summer spreads excitement in the air.

This is one of my favorites as of late. The work in the garden is good for the soul and there’s nothing more refreshing  after some hours labored on the garden than to come in sit at the table and enjoy a meal together. I love the hats and modest dress both husband and wife are wearing and the seeming joy they share in the image of country life with all it’s treasures.

This picture invites one to bask in the beauty of the sparkling sea on a summer afternoon where never is it as enchanting as when the hot sun is warming up and that sea breeze draws you in. I love the color of the sea in summer on a clear day. So blue, so serene. The flowers boast of color and glory on the land, while the distant lighthouse has its own prominence to display. Just a whimsical day by the sea is enough to lighten any weary heart.

These are my focus these days as I am enjoying folk art and it’s wonderful message of simplicity and joy.

“And thou shalt have goat’s milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maidens. “

Proverbs 27:27

Enjoy

This week I’ve been working on generating ideas for my abstract art. Part of the process is moving away from my natural inclination and setting rules at the onset as a guide. Some of these are, a four color limit on my color palette, only circular and curved brush strokes, and blending the colors I’ve chosen to form new colors. These ideas were initiated from a collage of ideas from four thumbnail prints. Then they were arranged in a eye catching way to move into another painting from the sane themes.

I find it interesting how art mimics life in so many ways. There is a narrowing process of choices made by our own preferences that leads us down the road of destiny. Nothing by chance ever happens to us but all is chosen or ordained by a higher authority. All the twists and turns and messy journeys that happen to us are marked by this rule. They all have meaning and purpose and are writing our story, whether we possess realization of it or not.

The Son of Man said that He came to seek and save that which was lost and that if He was lifted up, He would draw all men to Himself. Our lives are not clear cut paths to God. We must often take detours, hard roads, windy paths and trial laden journeys, and yet He is drawing us, as he promised, to Himself at every turn. He promises  us, ” he that seeth the Son and believeth on him, hath everlasting life and shall not come into judgement but has already passed from death to life.

Jesus is the answer at the end of all our wanderings.

I have been experimenting with negative space in my abstract paintings attempting to create a layered effect with different shapes and colors. The following are just a few of what I’ve been working on this week. I started by mark making on a colored background and moved to adding a solid color for negative space.

A 3d effect is created through the many layers with a window space into the original painted layer. I used mostly pallet knives to create these effects.

I find the mark making , as a creative process, so effective. No two marks are the same, yet they embellish the painting, each one, in unique ways. They create the composition with their thumbprint.  The negative spaces is a solid color which breaks up and defines the boundaries of the painting.

Everything we do makes a mark in our lives, a thumbprint we leave behind that traces it’s roots back to us. The negative space is what we cannot control, that breaks up our markmaking with life and it’s arbitrary realities. Yet our marks are powerful and influential, inspite of the negative space dominance. We can leave a trail, a map, a message. God gives each one of us that opportunity.

China Lake in December

24×30 Acrylic on canvas

It’s late in the afternoon and the sun is setting on China Lake. The sky and lake seem remarkable in the cool hues of gray and blue. It’s not frozen yet. The water laps against the shore and ripples across the rocks. The snow is soft, melting and mushy, for winter has not set in yet. I love this time of year. Fall has ended, another year approaches it’s final days, all is quiet, and calm. The sky changes at these later hours, the winter solstice is about to commence.  The sky and water look so icy. So deep. The squirrels are scattered, the birds are few. The crunch of the brown leaves tells me fall is over, another fall past. Winter in Maine about to begin.

I enjoy these quiet seasons. I think on the hope I have in Christ. Yes, time is slipping away so fast. A greater glory is in my thoughts. The Lord owns it all, all that this world possesses, and all it’s people. He is God. He is the Lord, mighty in battle.

Another afternoon approaching twilight. The sky is an apricot as the sun descends in the west. The dark foreboding clouds of late fall encroach on a white landscape filled with frigid air.  The bare trees have let go of all their leaves of summer. They are on the ground now beneath the frozen white. Their stick branches reach high into the sky as if beckoning another chance at summer’s joys. But none shall be granted until another winter has come and gone. They are stiff, these trees and as the north wind blows they clap their hands in the winter sunset, the last light of another day. A short day it was, as here in Maine days end in but a moment it seems. Its late fall and it’s growing dark, the long horizon sheds the last rays of sun for this day in December.  God sees us through every season. All the ebb and flow of times and days and seasons and years, He is there.  For the believer, He promises to stay and guard our walk in this life until the final sunset comes and our eternal Father bids us ” fly away”.

“He only is my rock and my salvation “.

Psalm 62:6

It is December, and the season of Christmas, peace , joy and light. So much to reflect on this past year, so much for which  to be grateful, and then there are the lessons that we learned that we didn’t see coming.

I am thankful for all that the Lord has done in my life this year. The unexpected surprises, the blessings, and the times when I didn’t see His hand and my faith was stretched. 

One profound lesson I believe I am beginning to contemplate is that the Lord controls all things.  Of course, we say we know this, I said I did. But until this truth really settles in your heart, through life’s inevitable realities, does this message really sink in.  I see that I am limited as we all are, that things don’t go as we think they should. God is God! And He is writing His-story, not us. We are given the power to respond to His sovereignty.  How we respond determines our life’s message, and whether we are happy or miserable. Sadly, this is a lesson the proud never learn, as they want to believe in their own destiny, their own agenda and power. Yet no one can control outcomes, the power of God is what determines fate and not ourselves. If we learn this and humble ourselves, yielding to His power, we are most greatly blessed both in this life and the next. Learning to yield even as we age is truly a gift if we seek God for it.

Another lesson is somewhat antithetical to the first. We do have control over ourselves. What we eat, what we drink, what we wear, what we buy, what we do with our time, how we treat others, how we respond to how they treat us, is all within our power. God gives us choices, He gives us opportunities every single day. What we do with them is entirely up to us. We can respond by keeping his commandments, bowing out heart to understanding, and receiving the blessings of such a wise choice, or we can be stubborn, lie to ourselves, chose a proud heart and attempt to make truth bend to our will. The fruit of these choices will be tremendous sorrow, pain and regret when we mourn at the last and lament that we did not obey our teachers. I’ve witnessed both this year and the end result of both paths. It’s all very clear in the end where wisdom guided, where folly led. Alas, it’s too late in that final hour to reverse life choices. The time to answer the call of wisdom is now, today.

It’s the end of 2024 and as is true every year, God is faithful. God is good!  Take  a few moments in the coming days in this beautiful season of light, to reflect on your path and to ponder your choices. Where are you headed in 2025? Where do you want to be at this time next year?

The Lord bless each one of you this holiday season.

It’s October and the fall colors are just about peak this week. It’s absolutely glorious this time of year. I love to walk and be outside, especially at this season of change and anticipation.  Fall always gives me that vibe, that something exciting is on the way, transitions are emerging, and a new perspective, a new goal in on the horizon.

I’ve been challenged as of late to question some age old patterns of thinking that were producing the same miserable results in my life over and over again. Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole can be a frustrating experience.  Sadly I’ve wasted years on this pursuit and the fruit of this quest has got me thinking, as these orange and gold leaves come to life all around me. Like the leaves, I am ripe, to see things as never before, to make some changes, to take a leap in the dark as it were, a leap of faith.

For some 30 years my thinking has been as stoic as a stone, unmovable, blind. I’d see things, but as the Word of God states, I had not observed them. I had not learned what the precious Lord of heaven was so patiently trying to teach me. I’ve not been a good student, as my thinking inside my own box prevented me from seeing the truth on so many levels. Some things can’t be taught, they must be experienced. 

” Come ye out from among them and be ye separate sayeth the Lord, and I will receive you.” I’ve never fully understood this passage. I always thought it meant, “repent of your sins” but like so many other mysteries in the Bible,  it had a deeper meaning. On reflection, I’ve discovered for myself a profound application to this verse. Who does Jesus warn us about in the New Testament? Of whom does he say” Beware of them”? Who does He stop speaking to plainly and only in parables? Who has he the most disputes with? Come ye out from among them, he warns. Who are they?

It astonished me how blind I could be. How self deceived I could become. What is so well hidden in plain sight is the very thing that often trips me up. I wanted to be good, I wanted to be religious. I wanted to go to heaven, to associate with ” godly” people. Did I check my own heart before I pondered such lofty goals. Not likely. My eye was set on the prize. It has taken me a long time to see that what I truly sought was a booby prize at best. It’s not out there, this reward I hoped for, in fact, I wasted a lot of time seeking a twisted version of what the world seeks all day every day. You see that apple, that sinful apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

To follow Christ in truth, I’ve found out, is to be hated by this world. It is to be the ” offscouring of all things.” it is to take up my cross following Him and to become one of no reputation in this life. It’s a lonely road and one of pain, suffering, and rejection. It is being misunderstood, undervalued, and tasting meekness. The road our Lord traveled on earth was not lined with glory land praise or worldly acclaim. It was one of humility, marked by unpopularity. The fanfare of all the horse and pony shows going on in Christendom bear no likeness to this difficult path, nor are they, pursuing such things, or interested in the lessons of this road. What I’ve learned, however, in these lessons is that if you want to know Christ, in truth, this is the way. There is no other way, and it’s not gloryland down here. If the world loves you, you are probably not on this road at all.

I’ve come to a crossroad because the truth beckons me, but it requires a decision, a reality  I didn’t anticipate, and it comes at a cost. To have fellowship with His suffering was all along a part of His plan. In fact, it wasn’t just part of the plan, it was the plan. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of forgiveness and salvation, we die and are quickened to life and oneness with Him eternally. This automatically brings suffering as we become the targets of hate by this world.

Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and He will embrace you, fellowship with you and show you the truth.

September is here, and with it all the ambition fall brings. The days grow short as the sun sets lower in the sky. The mornings are cool, and the soft, gentle breeze aloft whispers change is in the air. It is autumn, and one senses the passage of time more acutely at this season of the year than perhaps any other. With each coming fall, there are new starts, school, college, and maybe a new job after graduation in spring. A year older, as your birthday has either already passed or soon will approach.  The anticipation of the holidays and the year’s end come into view,  as well as the wonderment at what lies ahead in the unknown of the future year.

Many have felt particularly unsettled as the election in November will surely bring change and move us in a direction we don’t yet fully understand.  There is much that is hanging in the balance, and one can feel the tide slipping to a place from which we can not return. The future is before us and as we race into this new reality, what was is looking more and more ancient.

It is a great comfort to know that God the Father is already there, in the future, just as He is in the past. He knows our time and has ordained all our days. The Father holds the world in His hands. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the author and finisher of our faith is on His throne. To the one who has placed their trust in Him, there is no fear of the unknown, for He has told us what will be in His word. He is coming for us and we are to watch and wait. For it’s later than we think.

I understand why King David speaks in the Psalms of the length of our days being as hand breaths. They come and go so quickly, and just keep coming. Time just races on as we age, and life literally is like sand falling through an hour glass. It is finite, it will end, and it is all passing so incredibly fast.

My children, once little and dependent, are all grown now. The youngest is on the brink of adulthood at age 17. I never saw this day coming. But it came, it’s here, and ever so quickly.

I myself on the brink of old age, am a senior citizen. It doesn’t appeal to me as I had hoped it would. For old people are not valued in our society. Their whole life behind them, they become weak and fragile and in need of care, much like little children again. They are easily forgotten, pushed aside, neglected. They have little anyone wants from them anymore. Their beauty gone, their homes sometimes are lost, their children grown and gone, and their health changing and often not what it once was. They are left to die.

The Lord says He will carry us even when we are old. Many sit in nursing homes with no one to visit them. They wait for their change to come, their deliverance from this dark world. They wait for the Saviour, if they know Him. The greatest day of their life is soon to approach, the day they cross the Jordan.

The importance of living for God now, while there is time, comes into view, serving Him now. Solomon says” better to be in the house of mourning than in the house of feasting, for that is the end of every man.” Better to mourn than to feast, because we will all mourn eventually. If we are feasting, we are not thinking about our eternal destiny, we are rather consumed with the pleasures of the moment, eating, drinking, and momentary joy. If we’re mourning, we’re in sorrow, we are hurting, we thirst, and in our need, we make room for God.

Today is the day of salvation. Not tomorrow.  For tomorrow may never come.

In thee O Lord do I put my hope. Jesus paid it all. Our sin debt, the sins of the whole world fell on the Son of God! If our iniquities were to be measured, it would lead to utter despair. Jesus is the rock of hope this world needs.

Our whole world is based on a merit system. The merit of a life brings riches, popularity, fame, and reward, but it does not bring salvation of the soul. Only Jesus Christ, the rock, can give this. All earthly pursuits, however worthy they seem in this life,  lead to emptiness.  Men of high degree are a lie, and men of low degree are vanity. Jesus is precious. Jesus is the rock.

” Let me never be ashamed, deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me, deliver me speedily, be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.”

If Jesus and his blood shed on the cross as payment for our sins, is all our hope, and He is perfect, we have no real fear. The rock of hope is enough. Our faith may be very flawed, mixed with doubt at times, our works also flawed, our minds flawed. Yet Jesus has no flaws! All we must do is look! Look at Him! Look to Him and rest! Forget yourself!

There was never anything we could do. From the womb we were broken and fallen, but we are offered through faith something far more priceless than ourselves. We have a rock, a rock of hope!

Jesus saves souls, and no one can take that away! He gave each one of us an earthly life and it’s a precious gift. He now offers an eternal life to everyone who will place their faith and hope in His death, burial and resurrection to pay for their sin debt. To those who believe, we will be with Him forever and ever.

” Look unto me all ye the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other”. Look and live unto the saving of your soul. ~Isaiah 6:22