Where I Land

Sometimes I come across things that are so beautiful, I wonder if there's anything left to paint or compose.

Painted by Akiane Kramarik at age 8, Prince of Peace.

 

Perhaps I wanted to catch it
perhaps not

But one morning
an eagle dropped a diamond

And right then
with my faulty brush
full of my own hair
I wanted to paint

I wanted to paint the wings-
Too late - they flew away
I wanted to paint a flower
Too late - it withered

That night the rain
was running after me
Each drop of rain
showed God's face
His face was everywhere
On homes and on me

I wrung out the love
to make the red

I wrung out the stumps
to make the brown

I wrung out the trust
to make the pink

I wrung out my own eyes
to make the blue

I wrung out the seaweed
to make the green

I wrung out the nightly pain
to make the black

I wrung out my grandmother's hair
to make the gray

I wrung out my visions
to make the violet

I wrung out the truth
to make the white

Today I want to paint God's face
IT'S NOT TOO LATE !

 

~Akiane Kramarik, from her artist website.

 

The second beautiful thing was the cover art and song "Where I Land" from JJ Heller's album The Pretty and the Plain.

 



 

You’re different from the way I thought you’d be
But here You are… in front of me.

So full of light I watch it overflow,
A lovely mystery…

 

And I am, lost for words.
You’re more than I deserve.

 

You have a way of stirring up my soul.
Did you know?

When you hold me in your arms the way you do,
It feels like coming home.

 

And I am, lost for words.
You’re more than I deserve.

 

And when I cannot stand,
You are where I land.
Where I land…
Where I land…

 

You will be the keeper of my heart,
Until my final day.

 

The Shepherd's Castle

Quotes from author George MacDonald.



"He could have been well content to pass his life as a shepherd, like his father, but for two things: he knew what it would be well for others to know; and he had a hunger after the society of books." ~The Shepherd's Castle

 

 

"Donal stood for a moment regarding the man and his work. In a minute the cobbler lifted a little wizened face and a pair of twinkling eyes to those of the student, revealing a soul as original as his own." ~The Shepherd's Castle

 

 

"The delight of creation is verily in secrets, but in secrets as truths on the way." ~ The Shepherd's Castle

 

 

"He sad down on the topmost point. And slowly in the silence and the loneliness, from the unknown fountains of eternal consciousness, the heart of the child filled. The mighty city that had been to him the universe was lost in the far indistinguishable distance; and he who had lost it had climbed upon the throne of the world. The air was still when a breath awoke - it but touched his cheek like the down of a feather - and the stillness was there again. The stillness grew great and slowly descended upon him. It deepened and deepened. It was as if a great single thought was the substance of the silence and was all over and around him, closer to him than his clothes, than his body, than his hands. In years after when Gibbie had the idea of God, when he had learned to think about Him, to desire His presence, to believe that a will of love enveloped His will, as often as the thought of God came to him, it came in the shape of the silence on the top of Glashgar."

~The Baronet's Song

 

 

"Gibbie's eyes grew wider and wider as he listened; it seemed as if his soul were looking out of doors and windows at once - but a puzzled soul that understood nothing of what it saw... The waking up of a human soul to know itself arouses so heavy a sense of marvel and inexplicable mystery. When by slow, filmy unveilings life grew clearer to Gibbie, he not only knew but knew that he knew, his thoughts always went back to that day in the meadow with Donal Grant as the beginning of his knowledge of beautiful things in the world of man." ~The Baronet's Song

 

Open Arms

Sometimes it feels that talking to God is like having a father with Alzheimer's.

The only reason I say this is because of a scene I watched from the Sandra Bullock movie Hope Floats.

Sandra Bullock plays Birdee Pruitt, a woman who has just moved back to her small hometown after a recent, and rather publicly embarrassing split from her husband. It doesn't help that the town gossips take delight in her recent downfall, loudly proclaiming how "so-and-so would NOT believe you're back in town!" (Momentary cringe for small-town gossip... er... 'small talk')

While Birdee must deal with the humility of moving back to her small town and becoming the town's juiciest subject, she also has to cope with her young daughter who thinks it's Birdee's fault her dad left them.

As it all begins to feel too much, Birdee goes to visit her dad, who is in a care home for his Alzheimer's. On previous visits, Birdee had talked affectionately to him, asking if he remembered certain things, all the while stroking his hand. He would look at her with a bit of a disconcerting directness, as if searching her. He would say nothing, but just stare at her, sometimes with a simple smile.

On this particular visit, Birdee is very distraught. She pours out her heart to her father, taking comfort in the fact that he hears her, or at least is paying attention to her. She goes on trying to figure it all out, if she's done something wrong, struggling for the right answer... when her father slowly rises. Without a word, he turns to her, love and affection brimming in his eyes. He had been listening to her the whole time. He spreads open his arms and brings her into a dance. Without a word, the two embrace.

There are times when I have felt like this with God. I come to him pouring out my heart, searching for the right answers and unable to grasp them. I walk through my day frustrated and wondering why everything is so wrong. Then, something happens to change it. Oftentimes it's something small, like coming across a song that goes straight to me, or encountering someone who shows me sincere and tender kindness, where I know it must be from the Lord. These moments may be small, but they have a way of carrying me through. It's as if that raging, distraught part of my heart is suddenly calmed by the presence and knowledge of how I am loved. A little voice that calms my fears and soothes the hurt.

God really is a tender Father.

Pascal Campion

Wow... this artist makes me want to grab my sketchbook and get to it!

 

The First Valentine ~ Pascal Campion

Inspiring things about this artist:

• He makes one sketch everyday... whether he feels like it or not.
• He draws inspiration from everyday life... in a simple yet beautiful way.

"Everybody's drawings inspire me. Even the artists that are not considered to be good artists... It's not about how well you draw, it's about what you say with your art. So someone who actually doesn't master the art of drawing, the way the academy wants you to master it... if they can tell a story through it, if they can make me feel something, I will absolutely adore those drawings."

 

His Name is Thunder

Kings and Queens of the World

 

Interview with Pascal Campion.

 

Artist's website.

Pleasing God

"His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor is his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him (reverence, awe), in those who hope in his steadfast love." ~Psalm 147:10-11

So, I don't need to be this...

or this...

 

 

for God to be this...

 

 

I just need a little bit of this...

 





 

 And this...

 

Trusting God

 

"Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." ~Jeremiah 9:24

 

Room with a View

It starts with a photograph...

 

The objective: create a room with a view with abstracted levels of space and contrasting colors.

 

 

Streaky window to abstract one view of the outside. Impressionistic strokes out second window.

 

 

Realistically painted objects on the table to contrast the inside and outside.

 

 

As a final touch, stars are added to the inside walls. Stars added by flicking a brush with white paint on the canvas. Gets a nice effect of clustered stars.



 

 

The Sparrow's Providence

I have recently noticed the adorableness of sparrows. While visiting my hometown, I sat on the porch one morning when the fattest little sparrow perched himself on a clothesline post. As he sat there chirping, his little feathers ruffled up and down his body. He was so serious in his delivery of the twittering song.

 

 

It was too cute to behold. I wanted to peel out with laughter at how precious that little bird was.

The verses in Matthew 10:29-31 and Luke 12:6-7 both describe God's tender watch over sparrows, and the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow" also describes a creature that is preciously watched over.

The reference is to God's tender watch over his children, as well as the sparrow. However, I have recently found out an interesting fact about sparrows that deepened the narrative to me.

More than any other bird, sparrows prefer to live near human dwellings. They're drawn to the availability of food from bird feeders and gardens, as well as the warmth provided from streetlamps during the winter. They are drawn towards human providence.

Isn't that a beautiful picture? I see the sparrows each morning outside of my apartment, happily plopping along the balcony stairs. They start out each morning in search of the day's nourishment. It brings me so much joy to see them draw near to my own establishment in search of food and shelter.

How much more God must feel when we draw near to him to provide for us and shelter us. It just reminds me how much God has to offer, that we would be drawn to him again and again, discovering each time how rich His heart is.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are more valuable than many sparrows."  ~Matthew 10:29-31