Delighted

Last summer I prayed for God to give me a wide open beautiful space where I could watch the sunset. Was looking all over and couldn't find one. And He did. A place I have all to myself. Big open green grass and gigantic sky.

Last week when people were posting spectacular pics of the sky at the tigers game I asked God to bless me with a sky as beautiful. I so feel His presence looking at such gloriousness.

Tonight I was blessed with this. It was way more spectacular than this. My phone was dead and I was missing the moment trying to plug it in and take pics from the car. I snapped these as I was leaving after it had charged a while. The clouds were gigantic and look so small here.

And the little white flower was sitting there in the grass where I sat down. :o)

Zephaniah 3:17
For the Lord your God is with you, He is a mighty savior
He will delight over you with gladness.
With his love He will calm all your fears,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

I felt like I was being sung to sitting in that giant field with the warm breeze and swaying grass and  spectacular view.

Love!

Perfect Ending

A few weeks ago my friend Joanne asked me to paint Pastor Carey and Jesus together for his 25th anniversary in ministry. In a recent service he had mentioned loving those paintings you see of Jesus welcoming someone home, and she thought of me, and prayed and felt led to ask me to paint it.

We didn't know exactly when the celebration would be, and then a few days later found out it was that weekend.

I told her I didn't think I could do it that quick, but with God all things are possible, and to pray. And we had had other people praying. I started it weds. morning, and by Sunday morning I was not completely finished, but enough to take and present to him. And one of the biggest things I'd been praying for came true, it looked like him!

The background ended up changing and was inspired by my memory of being on Mt. Carmel looking out in Israel. And Mt. Carmel makes me think of Elijah calling down fire from heaven, and Elijah makes me think of Pastor Carey, I can remember him preaching on Elijah and I think he'd have the faith to call down fire from heaven.

Then I decided regular clothes seemed odd in contrast to Jesus' robe, but a robe seemed weird. And the African garments he used to wear during black history month came to mind.

Earlier in the week when I finished the painting I was elated, with this beautiful feeling like God had created this thing through me as a special gift. This morning as I drove I was glancing over at it feeling doubtful, wondering if the whole thing was just ridiculous.

Then, as I'm sitting there in service, the painting next to me, here comes Pastor Carey dressed in an outfit just like my painting. He was even wearing leather sandals!!!!! And he is speaking to God as if in the character of Elijah!

Elijah who called down fire from heaven by the power of God and then days later was running in fear of people who wanted to kill him, doubting God.

And he talked about how tests always follow great victories with God. And when we come to that moment afterward where we are doubting, to think back to the victory just days before and know who God is and have faith.

Was such a blessing to give the painting to him afterward and share all this. And have been blessed spending these days at Citadel too.

Was absolutely amazed sitting there. So neat. God tied the ending up to this little story with a perfectly neat little bow!

A promise kept. A prayer answered.

A few months ago Jason's Aunt Gay commissioned me to do a painting for her husband, Jason's Uncle Randy, who was being ordained as a minister.

She said she didn't know what she wanted me to paint, just whatever God led me to do. I didn't know for weeks and was going back and forth, and then it was getting to the time I needed to start it and I put my prayer request in at bible study to clearly know what to paint.

That Sunday night there was a pink sunset, and everything outside felt like it was glowing and heavenly. I knew I somehow wanted to convey that heavenly feeling. I thought I wonder if they have a cute little white country church? And turns out they do. And then chatting with my friend Jill, we came up with the idea of them walking to the church, bible in hand. All of their kids and grandkids represented hanging around the church.

Last night was the night. My mom and Gianna and I went and took the painting. (I teared up when we pulled in the lot after having stared so many hours at this painting.) Even Gay didn't know what Randy was going to preach on last night, and to our delight, he shared his testimony, which is exactly what Gay had shared with me and what had inspired the painting.

Here's my quick summary of their story:

Over five years ago Gay started praying for Randy to start going to church and to love the Lord. They have 2 grown children and had just adopted a newborn baby and she wanted to raise their son in a Christian home.

Around the same time Gay's Uncle Gannon, who Randy was very close to, was dying of Cancer. Randy visited with him regularly after work. One day someone called Randy and said Gannon really wanted to see him. Randy went to him and Gannon said he needed him to promise him something. He shared that someone had prayed with him to receive Jesus and he felt like a lead blanket had been lifted off him, that he knew it was all of his sins being taken away.

He made Randy promise him to follow the Lord and go to church with his family. He didn't want Randy, his niece and their children leaving this world with their sins attached to them. Randy agreed to the promise, but didn't really intend to keep it, he didn't feel a need for God or church in his life. He was fine with the way things were.

After Gannon died, Gay reminded Randy of his promise and he went to church with her. To his surprise he felt God filling him and drawing him through his word. Found himself longing to go back. Something happened one week and a service was cancelled and he said by the time the next service rolled around he was about dying to get back in that church. And when he did he accepted Jesus and has been changed from the inside out ever since.

He said he could have never imagined himself like this. Attending church, loving the Lord, or especially becoming a pastor. Twice last night, once just him without music, he sang about his love for the Lord in a deep Johnny Cash voice and it was beautiful. Was beautiful to see him ordained as he kneeled next to his wife who prayed for this day. (Today is their 35th wedding anniversary!) She named this painting: "A promise kept. A prayer answered."

I had the awesome privledge of presenting this painting to him. And pointing out Gannon's initials carved on the tree on the right above the heart!

What a special day. So blessed to have been a part of it. : )