Promises

2 Cor. 1:20 says "For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are Yes, and in Him (Jesus) Amen, to the glory of God through us."


Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that God is aware of our every need, our every heartache, and our every tear. He is FAITHFUL. He promised us that in this world we WOULD have tribulation, but He also PROMISES us that we would overcome because He overcame. He PROMISES us that we would overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. He PROMISES that He would wipe every tear from our eye and that some day we would understand the "whys" of this life.


He PROMISES to be with us in the fire, flood, and fight. He PROMISES to not give us more than we can handle when our faith is sorely tried. He PROMISES to never leave nor forsake us even when we are crying out, "Lord, where ARE you?" He PROMISES that His grace IS sufficient when our flesh would shout otherwise. He PROMISES that joy WILL come in the morning when tears endure for the night. He PROMISES that if we confess our sins we WILL be healed. He PROMISES that if His people will humble themselves and pray, seek HIS face and turn from THEIR wicked ways that He will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. He PROMISES that He is coming soon.


If you look closely you will see some swirls that look like the number 7 and 8. Seven means completion, eight means new beginnings. He PROMISES to end what needs to end and He PROMISES to begin a new thing. May you find the blessed assurance PROMISE found in Jesus-the PROMISE of God,  the Hope of Glory and  
our YES and our AMEN. 


I promise.

Psalm 85:10

Mercy and Truth have met together;
Righteousness and Peace have kissed. Psalm 85:10

This latest one makes me think of ocean life and the beauty that lies underneath the surface.

 Life can bring some pretty challenging waves that are downright rough: (illness, financial struggles, wayward kids etc.)  Then there are other days where the water might be relatively calm, but the NOISES of life (fault finding, complaining, criticizing, doubt, scorn, scoffing) steal the wind from our sails.

I have never been snorkeling or deep sea diving, but I have noticed that just floating on my back in a simple pool where my EARS are SUBMERGED brings me great peace; all I hear is my calmed down breathing and gentle water sounds... "a womb with a view" comes to mind; I can hear the Lord's voice and see His ever watchful eyes upon me in His mercy and truth. His righteousness and peace have kissed me tenderly in the Living Water and I am safe, sound, and secure.

There is a time in our lives when we must go deep SEE diving and find what's really below the surface. Without fail, we will discover that underneath ARE the Everlasting Arms that keep us afloat and moving all the while taking us deeper.

Metamorphosis

This picture has artist "tension" in it. There's "tension" because of the vibrant colors next to the duller colors. Ever feel "tension" when you're going through a metamorphosis, transformation, CHANGE?

The Lord wants you to lift your head and see your TRUE COLORS-you ARE vibrant, you ARE bright, and you ARE strong. You are all of these things in Him.

And when you get yourself SATURATED in Him, take your vibrant, bright strong self and go color someone else's world.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Battles. We're called to "take up our armor and fight the good fight..."
but a very cool thing is that THE BATTLE belongs to the LORD! HA!

I love in 2nd Chronicles 20 where it says, "Do not be discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's. You will not have to fight this battle. TAKE UP YOUR POSITIONS; STAND FIRM and see the deliverance the Lord will give you (O Judah and Jerusalem); do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to FACE THEM tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

TWICE the Lord said "don't be discouraged." Discouragement keeps us in the bed rather than on our knees.

TAKE UP YOUR POSITIONS-our position is one of confidence and though your body may tremble, your HEART can still be confident in the Lord.

STAND FIRM. You can stand firm even while weeping. There are days that I THANK GOD for the release and relief of stress filled tears. I have stood firm and praised His Name in the midst of my weeping. Standing firm isn't the stiff upper lip; it's the bended knee that helps us "stand" and stand strong in the Spirit.

DO NOT BE AFRAID. We're human. We become fearful; but the Holy Spirit whispers to OUR spirit in that "still small voice" that reverberates in our heart with His kindness and strength.

GO OUT AND FACE THEM. If you are a child of the Lion King, you have your Daddy's eyes. Stare into the enemy's face with all blessed assurance and even laughter because the Lord, your Father, LAUGHS at His enemies. So can you.

Your God is WITH you. Period.
Fight the good fight; the BATTLE belongs to the Lord. Amen.

Jeremiah 20:9

My friend Alicia had sent the following profound statement from The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer:  
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
Alicia then asked me, "What comes to your mind?"


My first knee jerk response was His KINDNESS and that He was my DELIVERER. But then I took it a step further and "got all hung up" on the word ABOUT. I thought it should have said TO-ie-'is the most important thing TO us' not 'the most important thing ABOUT us.'  So I told her I would have to think about that one and perhaps my answer would come either through a song I wrote or my art.


This latest piece you see today is what I believe to be my answer and I am blown away and delighted that I hear a "Yes and Amen" in my heart and spirit. I was not even thinking about Alicia's question while I was creating. As ALWAYS, the Spirit of the Lord surprised me and whispered, "This is what you're ABOUT."


If the most important thing ABOUT me is that His Word in my heart is like a burning fire shut up in my bones and that I cannot contain it, then glory BE to God. 

North, South, East, West

Raise your head and look North to find the Lord over ALL Whom you can thoroughly trust with everything that concerns you. Bow you head and look South to experience peace from the One Whom you have learned to trust. As you raise your head in peace, look about you and breathe in deep the calm and rest that have quietly entered from the East and West.

No matter where you look, He is THERE.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?"
Psalm 139:7

Walking With God

This one was tough to name because so MANY titles were shooting through my head! The main thing I wanted to convey was PROMISE amid those desert times hence the rainbow colored road representing the Lord's presence.

My dear friend Holly Smith told me that  the word "desert" in Hebrew means "place of the speaking."

If you are in the desert, dry place, wilderness etc. just know that you are NOT alone; God Himself is with you and walking WITH you. May your "dry place" be flooded with the Living Water speaking kindly to you. He is faithful, true, and near to those with a broken heart and crushed spirit. Walk on.

Praise

There is ALWAYS something to praise the Lord for...always. When I feel the "grumps" starting to mess with me, I make myself pause and start saying ALOUD what to praise the Lord for:
I can breathe, I'm not hooked up to a machine, I'm in my right mind, I live in America, I have a   roof over my head, clothes on my back and in my closet, food, a job, a car, family and friends that love me and above all, an awesome GOD who loves me as I am while encouraging me to come higher. I praise Him for His conviction, correction, counsel and loving kindness. I praise Him for loving me unconditionally even when I'm at my absolute worse. I praise Him for "staying on me" and IN me to keep me uncomfortable with boring status quo, and I praise Him for songs to sing and digital art to create that somehow expresses my deepest THANKS for Who He is...WORTHY OF ALL MY PRAISE.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Psalm 146: 1-2

Grand Entrance

How often we hear of someone "making a grand entrance." Usually this is said either with a snicker, or the rolling of  eyes. No doubt our Lord will make a grand entrance upon His return, but I believe that He is telling US to make grand entrances wherever we go because we carry HIS presence with us. How many times have you heard something like, "you just light up a room when you enter" or "the joy of the Lord is always upon you" etc. That's what making a GRAND entrance is all about; changing the atmosphere where there is darkness, misery, despair and releasing the Glorious Light, Joy, Power and Hope found in Jesus. Oh, Father, help our entrances be GRAND, not bland!

Calm

Our land has been bombarded with destructive winds and flooding and we have been inundated with devastating pictures of the aftermath. Yes, we need to see "reality" in order to pray for others and to help them in their time of need. However, there is another picture of reality that the Lord wants to release and that picture is CALM.
It is my prayer that this particular painting will be both a decree and witness; let CALM be released in hearts and to the land, and how beautiful CALM is when the Prince of Peace Himself pours it out on, in, and through His people during and after a storm. Selah.

When Prayers Enter The Throne Room

Psalm 141:2
Let my prayer be accepted as sweet smelling incense in Your presence.

I have my "simple prayers" that I pray unto the Lord, but there have been times in my life where I prayed the "agonizing prayers" as well when life was dark, ugly, unbearable, and not worth living at all. It's hard to imagine that THOSE kind of prayers could look like what you see here, but if the Lord is in my prayer, then the Lord is in my answer.

The Writing's On The Wall

Thousands of years ago, the Lord wrote on a wall some words that only Daniel could read and explain the meaning of them to King Belshazzar.
This "wall" that you see has some words on it. Why are the words faded?  It's easy to see the colors of the wall and even the texture, but maybe you had to give the whole picture a closer look to be able to read the words. This is not a trick question, but ask yourself if the promises of God seemed to have "faded" or do they speak volumes because you took a closer look...If you must have a "wall up", let the King of Kings write on it. How beautiful then does that wall become.

Come Away

I simply enjoy STARING at this one to do what it invites and that is to come away with the Lord for a while. This particular painting makes me think of a garden full of beauty and blossoms, peace and rest. Come away.

Sunday Morning Tomb Activity

The Word says that around the throne of God there is a rainbow that resembles an emerald. There is also lightning and thunder. I like to think that when the time came for the Holy Spirit to raise our Savior from the dead that what you see here is perhaps what happened:

Power was released in the tomb and a rainbow exploded within it; a rainbow of PROMISE that Jesus WOULD rise from the grave in all victorious splendor. The Servant Savior King now ready to ascend back to His waiting throne where multitudes await in thunderous applause and worship.

The very center of this painting looks like a seed; Jesus was the seed of Salvation and by dying bore MUCH fruit.

I decided to go ahead and post this "before Easter arrived on the calendar." 
EVERY day is an opportunity to have Sunday Morning Tomb Activity in our lives. 
Death simply brings life. Always has. Always will. But know this:


We ALL will LIVE forever in one of two places-heaven or hell. That's a fact.
Jesus loves you "warts and all" and wants you to come AS IS.
He loves you. Even now, right now, He loves you. That's why it's called AMAZING Grace.
He wants you to live forever with Him in His Kingdom.
That's a fact. 


The same devil that Jesus defeated when He died on the cross wants you to spend an eternity with him in hell. He hates your guts and most certainly your soul. That's a fact.

Something's wrong when we get defensive and angry when someone who CARES about the eternal status of our soul asks us do we know where we're going when we die.

Wonder why that is...

STANDARD

This is based on Isaiah 59:19 where it says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him."

If you look closely, you'll see some writing under the word Standard. It says, "when the enemy comes in like a flood."
The Word 'Standard' is Jesus Whom the Holy Spirit lifts up as the Mighty Standard against the enemy. The Word 'Standard' is bigger than the entire sentence below because GOD is bigger than the enemy's schemes and the enemy's flood.

The 'enemy' sentence is deliberately put right under the Word 'Standard' because the Lord's enemies are a footstool under His feet and He crushes the enemy under my own.

The 'enemy' sentence is also faded; you have to "look hard" to see it; you're aware that SOMETHING is under the Word 'Standard', but the Standard continues to draw your eye to itself the way the Holy Spirit draws our eyes back towards Jesus and not on the storms of life, floods, earthquakes or tsunamis.

Speaking of that, the cracks represent all the rough, broken, damaged places in our lives and the Living Water Himself trumps the flood of the enemy as He pours out His love and begins the healing process. There is "violent beauty" in this picture, but that's the way the Lord's love is toward us. And it is because of His violent love that we are able to take the Kingdom BY FORCE, fight the good fight, and enjoy wearing the garment and garland of praise put upon us by our Savior Who is our STANDARD.

HOPE

Father, Your Word says that faith is the substance of things HOPED for; the evidence of things NOT seen.

Forgive us for putting our hope in everything and everyone rather than You and You alone.

You ARE our hope when our emotions and flesh scream otherwise. You ARE at work in our lives because You ARE a very PRESENT help in time of need.

Your compassions do not fail and Your mercies ARE new EVERY morning.

Darkness may boast of its presence in these last days, but we choose to boast in the Lord and the power of HIS might. We victoriously send the enemy fleeing seven ways by testifying that Immanuel, God With Us, is our Hope of Glory and the lifter of our head. Never will He leave us, never will He forsake us.

Let us proclaim, declare, decree and PRAISE You that You, Lord God of Hosts, ARE our Hope no matter what.

Son, Spirit, Savior

You just can't miss the S in this picture!

And because the Son said YES to His Father for MY salvation and the Spirit raised the Savior from the dead, that makes me saved and sanctified, and my SOUL knows it well.

Sublime...

Greatly To Be Praised

For the Lord IS great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:4

I see both lightning and Living Water river waves in this picture amid the other hues and it reminds me of the lightning and thunder blasting around His glorious throne in total harmony with shouts of "HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME!"

What other "god" can this be said of? A god with a little g and not worthy of my praise.

ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism. His Name is Jesus Christ and He is the One Who was and is and IS TO COME.

So GREATLY to be praised... 

Amen.

Spiritual DNA

Notice the Royal purple that makes the shape of a cross. That is our clothing.

Where Jesus hung NAKED on the cross (not covered with a cloth as so many works of art wrongly depict), He CLOTHED us with HIs King of Kings Royal Self from top to bottom, head to toe. We are IN Him for we died with Him and FROM Him do we emerge. The Holy Spirit, Who raised Jesus from the dead, is swirling and blasting with Holy Fire through the DNA as if to shout, "GIVE THANKS TO THE FATHER! KISS THE SON! EMBRACE YOUR ROYAL PRIESTHOOD!"

In the words of the old hymn:

"Oh how I love Jesus!

Oh how I love Jesus!

Oh how I love Jesus!

Because He first loved me!"

Seeds

My prayer is that the seeds of your deepest desires and dreams that the Lord Himself planted in you will come to fruition.

Lord, thank You for planting all these seeds in us and thank You for helping our soil stay full of nutrients. Thank You for those You send along our way to yank out weeds and tares. Use us to plant seeds of encouragement, kindness, patience, peace, joy and counsel.

For the hardened dry ones whose seeds were suffocated by cynics and mockers, let us resurrect them with Your Faithful True Word that breaks up the fallow ground of their heart with a cup of cool water in the Name of Jesus.

Peace

May the Prince of PEACE speak to you in this latest painting.

Deep Calls Unto Deep-Psalm 42:7

Deep calls unto deep in the roar of Your waterfalls...
When you look at this picture, the line going through it gives the impression that water is crashing over a wall from both sides. The fun part is looking at the verse and asking yourself if it came from the left side of the waterfall and is about to flow down on the right or did it come from the right side and is about to cascade downwards on the left? The answer is both. It is a cycle that never ends as long as we have breath.
There's a blood red cross in the middle of that line and it flows to and through both sides where deep dialogues break down walls. Our life's journey is a story to be told from the depths of our heart on water logged pages from tears of both pain and joy.

Jeremiah 32:27-I Am the Lord

No, Lord, there is NOTHING too hard for YOU to heal; be it our bodies, souls, coworkers, family, friends, minds, marriages, neighbors or nations.

YOU ARE THE LORD.

Faithful in all things and mighty to save, restore, and resurrect.

YOU ARE THE LORD.

It Is Finished

To all who "love Jesus, are born again, go to church, sing in the choir, pray, minister to the young and old, do everything a 'good christian is supposed to do' and still have deep disappointment in their soul for hidden reasons, this is for you.

I feel like this particular picture is timely because of what I have gone through recently in the healing of my own soul. None of us wants to insult our Lord in saying or thinking that His blood wasn't enough in delivering us from all addictions, heartache, worry, anxiety and EVERYTHING that tries to exalt itself above the knowledge of God.

For the faint of heart and the utterly exhausted who "have been waiting on the Lord" this is for you; it is a word in season to embrace you, not shun you; it is a word to speak to your sickness-whether physical or mental-your anger, your disappointment, your boredom, your lack of direction, your own weakness and your hatred of it: IT IS FINISHED.

May these three  words send the devil fleeing from you as you SPEAK them to him:
IT IS FINISHED. You overcome with the BLOOD of the Lamb and the WORD OF YOUR TESTIMONY. Whatever you struggle with, declare "IT IS FINISHED." And it will be an act of your WILL that you decide to speak up because your EMOTIONS won't "feel" like declaring. Been there. Done that. There comes a day when you "don't FEEL LIKE" allowing the devil to assume that he can torment your mind day in and day out. IT IS FINISHED. Rise up. Grow up. Speak up. IT IS FINISHED. Amen.

Precious Jewel

Malachi 3:17 says we are the Lord's jewels and Isaiah 62:3 declares that we are a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of our God.

We are HIGHLY VALUED by the Lord.

We ARE His Precious Jewels.

It is His brand upon our hearts and His promise within our souls. 

As I worked on this painting, I loved how the "jewel tones" were coming forth in more ways that one. And that's what we DO;  the Fire of God WITHIN us causes HIS beauty to radiate and WE are marvelously, miraculously transformed; glorious hues of "Holy, Holy Holy!" emanate and our old prisons become prisms of praise.

Exceeding Joy-Psalm 43:4

Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

Under His Wings

Psalm 91 says that under His wings we shall find refuge. As a child, I loved to play in my closet. I plugged my desk lamp into an extension cord and took it in there with me and would write or color or pretend I was in a cave. The closeness of my clothes hanging down just added to the feeling of being hidden away and I could stay in there without feeling claustrophobic. As I look at the "opening" in this latest painting, it makes me want to crawl into it as I did my closet all those years ago and find restful, worship filled refuge in the shadow of His wings.

ALL Things Work Together For Good

I actually burst out laughing when this one was done.
Can you say violence? Turmoil? Dark night of the soul? Spirit verses my flesh? Oswald Chambers didn't help any with his post on Jan. 15 regarding "the white funeral" and if the believer had had one yet. Check it out. It's over on the right hand column and entitled "Do you walk in white?"

 Well, then, why would I give this painting a title based on Romans 8:28? ("For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose.")

 ALL things and HIS purpose.

The last few weeks I was thanking the Lord for ALLL these retests I get to do so that it ALLLL works together for GOOD. It is His purpose that I go from glory to glory and for that I am most thankful. I am especially thankful that the minute I utter an exasperated weary sigh regarding something  I still need to work on,  I can hear His still small voice whispering in my ear, "Redo!" with great enthusiastic encouragement, not impatient disdain. Sublime grace... I believe that He is showing me His "violent love" towards me as He works it ALL out together for my good and His glory.

 I pray that in the midst of "the ALL" that hurls, blasts, crashes, zaps, and explodes in your life, that you may be able to see the BEAUTY bursting forth.

FOR GOOD.

Selah

Portal

Portal-a doorway, GATE, or other entrance, especially a large and elaborate one.

"Open to me the gates of   righteousness;
 I shall enter through them,
 I shall give thanks to the Lord.
This is the GATE of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it."
 Psalm 118 : 19, 20

Jude 1 verse 2

I just kept thinking how lovely these colors were in their vibrant softness. Mercy, Peace, and Love are just as lovely when given or received. For those who NEED mercy, peace, and love, may you RECEIVE it in abundance. For those who are GENEROUS in mercy, peace, and love, may you GIVE it in abundance.
For the giver and receiver alike, there will be a vibrant  painting done in the books of remembrance on earth and on the palace walls of heaven.

2011-Alabaster Breakthrough

I was wondering what picture the Lord would give me regarding 2011 and here is what I received:

I kept hearing/seeing "shattering", "breakthrough", and "alabaster". John 12:3 says the woman BROKE the jar and poured perfume on the the head of Jesus.

 Artistically, it "bugged me"  having the words break through and alabaster  "all jammed together", but I felt the Lord telling me to do it that way because BEHIND every alabaster human choice is BREAK THROUGH. We have to choose to be broken in order to break those things in our lives that keep us from pouring out the purest form of worship on the Lord.

 The "pure" white lettering shows up boldly on the alabaster word. The break through words are coming forth/materializing behind the Alabaster.