Wonderful Peace

"Peace"
12X28"
Mixed media, acrylic and calligraphy on masonite

I haven't had much opportunity to do art projects lately, let alone post anything about the few that I have managed to work on here and there. But it was so amazing how the Lord used this piece, I just felt I had to take time to share.

This piece is actually a paint-over. I liked the frame, but didn't care for the picture--funny, because the picture was one that I had painted. I wasn't sure at first what to paint, but at the time I was battling a lot of anxiety and seeking the Lord's peace to reign over my spirit, soul, and body.  The Lord spoke to me then about seeing all my anxious moments as individual opportunities to trust Him:

Philippians 4:6 (New King James Version) "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thansgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"

So we (the Lord and I) started to work on this anxiety thing.  And for a few months this painting I had started sat unfinished in my kitchen.

Then one day the ministry I work with had a visitor.  This person was expressing a lot of anxiety and unrest in their life.  As he continued to share, I heard the Lord very clearly direct me to finish the painting and give it to him.  I hadn't touched the painting for awhile, and I wasn't sure what else to do with it.  But the Lord directed me to put several verses about peace and guided me through the rest of the painting process.

I did not share with this person what the Lord spoke at that time, but I worked to finish the painting before this person's next visit.  When he returned, I waited for an opportunity to present the painting.  As the conversation went on, this person begin to share how the Lord told him to look up all the Bible verses that have to do with peace.  I could hardly believe it and asked him to repeat what he said!  It was the perfect segue to give him the painting and explain what the Lord spoke and what the Lord directed me to paint.  The painting blessed him, and I was blessed knowing that only the Lord could arrange such a thing through His Spirit.  Talk about an opportunity to trust Him! 

Concepts

"Concepts #3"
10X14"
Watercolor

It feels like for-EVER since I last posted something here! I have missed sharing art with others. It's not that I haven't wanted to post anything; I have merely been waiting for God's direction and timing for art projects. I'm not sure that I can say I have returned or that I will be posting regularly again, but for right now I have something that I can share.

God has taken me through quite a process in the last couple of years. In fact, my previous post was shortly after I moved out of my rented art studio and had sold the vast majority of my supplies. I thought it was just a downsizing. Then I felt the Lord directing me to get rid of all my previous artwork. It was a painful purging. Although I was able to give some of it away, most of my paintings and drawings ended up in the trash. I started to wonder if God was calling me to give up the art stuff for good.

See, I had all these nice ideas of how God was going to use my art. The only problem is, they weren't God's ideas. He had to take my nice little box of concepts and smash it to bits. Again, a painful experience, but very necessary. Now I wait for His leading and His inspiration. And that has lead to a much happier, much more successful art venture than would have happened had I pursued my own ideas.

Angels

"Angels"
18X21"
Mixed media

It's been a long time since I've posted any work...that's because it's been a long time since I've DONE any work. I have been quite busy in the last year seeking the Lord and trying to determine His direction for my life. My art has been put on a back burner for a season, only to be taken out as God allows and gives inspiration.

Now to be honest and fair, this piece isn't even entirely my doing. In fact, most of the work was done by other artists. Anyone with any sort of exposure to art will recognize the two cherubs. The burlap and wood background was done by another local artist here in El Paso. The thing that I contributed--well, not I, but the Holy Spirit--was the calligraphy of 1 Peter 1:12: "...(the prophets) were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into."

This whole piece came about as I was moving out of my art studio. I was packing things up and throwing out trash when another artist in the building stopped by. He wanted to give me this angel thing, but I was reluctant to take it. After all I was trying to move out and get rid of things--I didn't want to have to find space in my car for more artwork!

A couple of hours later as I took a pause from cleaning, I stopped to look at the piece again. That's when the Spirit brought to mind the verse in 1 Peter. I had just barely looked it up in my Bible when one of my studio neighbors stopped by. I was so excited about adding the calligraphy to the piece that I shared my idea with him. This was the conversational spark that gave me an opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel with him! Although I was sad about having to give up my studio space, I am grateful that I had this chance to speak into someone's life.

Now to wrap this up, I would like to address the subject of angels. I have watched people become very fascinated with them over the years, sometimes to the point of obsession and worship. I have seen people listening to and consulting "angels" rather than God, and it has disturbed me terribly. We human beings have been given a wonderful, blessed gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The angels don't get this; we do. The angels are God's servants, and as the verse in 1 Peter points out they desire to investigate this gospel message. It is a mystery to them, but God wants to reveal it to us. So don't get into consulting angels or listening to other people that do. They won't be able to tell you everything you need to know, but God can. And He will if you'll ask Him.