Goldfish

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Goldfish

This goldfish looks so free and like he is enjoying a leisurely swim in clear water.

I was thinking about Psa. 16:6 “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

This fish is enjoying his pleasant places. He is living within his boundaries. If he decided to try to live on earth, he would suffer and then die, never seeing his beautiful inheritance. If he tried living in deep water, he would get those beautiful fins torn by coral and probably end up shark food.

Our lives are not as clearly defined as the fish’s. But when we live within the boundaries God has set for us, doing what pleases Him and not hurting ourselves or others, we have a pleasant place to live and the promise of a delightful inheritance.

If you have stepped outside your boundary line, why not make the decision today to return to your pleasant places and delightful inheritance. If you are in your pleasant place, find the joy of the Lord where you are and don’t allow any temptation to draw you away.

Adonis Blue Butterfly

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Butterflies usually have a close relationship with one type of plant. They need those plants for food and shelter as they go through their development. Then when they come out with their beautiful fragile wings, they flit from flower to flower spreading pollen that causes their special flowers to form seeds. The flowers and butterflies need each other.

Like the butterfly, we are reliant on our relationship with God for food, shelter, and our development. Without Him, we cannot become all we are meant to be. As we spread our wings, we take the “pollen” we receive from our relationship with God and spread it to those we relate to. I believe He has planned ahead of time for us to reach His people. He gives us an affinity for those who need to hear what we have to share.

What do you have today from God that you can share with those around you? Just touch them gently with His word and let God bless their lives.”

Pink Clematis

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This is a Pink Clematis done as a tutorial from Anna Mason.

The Clematis is a vine that is very hardy. One of the common names for this flower is “Traveler’s Joy.” That seems quite apropos since it loves to climb and creep on trees, fences, and buildings.

I liked the idea of being a traveler’s joy to those around us. I know, we can’t really travel right now, but we do still have an impact on people’s lives. I was impressed by the thought that we impact other’s lives every time we call or visit or write to them. Do our words bring joy to their heart or do we leave them more depressed, angry, or frustrated than they were before?

On a walk in the park, Mike and I had found several things to laugh heartily about. We passed an acquaintance who suddenly dumped her load of fear and anger and frustration on us. It was a brief encounter, but we walked away heavy hearted. We didn’t have a chance to cheer her before she made us miserable.

The next day a stranger stopped to talk. She opened with a ‘dark’ thought and I deflected it by asking her questions about what she liked to do. We discovered she is also an artist. We enjoyed sharing notes and contacts for supplies. What a difference!

Let’s be like the Clematis spreading our joy and care to everyone we meet.

Anemone in Graphite

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This anemone flower was a reference photo from Anna Mason’s school. When I considered painting it, I was afraid to tackle it. Instead, I used it to practice my graphite skills.

I was afraid of all those very dark stamens. There were so many!

My fear of facing those stamens, reminded me of my fear of speaking to a large group. There were so many! What if I make a mistake?

God helped me conquer that fear when I faced a group of seminary students and faculty. Now they were a group of good speakers. What was I doing there? Why me? I thought all my notes were on my phone. But no! Twice I tried to load them. The wrong file came up. No one moved, they waited for me. They showed no impatience or ridicule. The third time I tried, my notes appeared, and I went on to give a well-received message.

Is there something you fear doing? Maybe try it in a less splashy way, like I did with this graphite sketch. Or maybe do it and watch God set you free from your fear.

Phalaenopsis Orchid

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The Phalaenopsis Orchid has a unique place in my heart. Mike bought me a corsage of these orchids for our first official date. That is one reason I wanted to paint them.

The other reason is backgrounds. In my compositions they have really challenged me. I tried, a few different times, to add them, but none were successful. With the help of an Anna Mason tutorial, I was finally able to add a background I genuinely like. It sure made these flowers pop and gave the composition an almost Asian feel.

We all want to do some things that make us stand out from the crowd. It is not about whether we are introverts of extroverts. It’s about highlighting something beautiful against the often-common background of our life.

In that way, our lives are like an artistic composition. The background is our everyday life. It is how we work and play. It is our personality, our experiences, and even our foibles. It is what we value and pay attention to. It is the choices we make, both big and small. All of those give our lives a background unique to each person.

Against that background, with all its shades of light and shadow, some notable things we do stand out in beautiful relief. They are not lost; they are highlighted, like these orchids, by God’s grace at work in us.

Can we pay special attention to our backgrounds? Let us endeavor to embrace and practice wise values. Let us cherish our relationships with good people. And let us discover how even our dark moments blend in. Then, often in surprising ways, our lives will provide a backdrop for something beautiful that all can see.