His workmanship

Here is the second installment of art I've created on a touch screen computer.  I've never been much for really abstract types of art but creating on a computer, my fingers touching the smooth glass of the touch screen, it's a different story.  Its actually soothing to create on this computer.

I'm reminded that our life is a like a work of art.  Kind of cliché right?  But it really is.  In Ephesians God is the creator of us, "His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works."  As an artist, the word "workmanship" really speaks to me.  I am his "Art work"  that He created and is molding and shaping even now.    And as something that He created he wants me to also create. Through a synergistic relationship with Him, MY creator, he wants his creative energy to flow through me. 

I'm reminded of Jim Elliot who said that he felt God's pleasure when he ran.  He said this statement when his sister was trying to persuade him to go to the mission field right away.  She did not see the "spiritual"  value of him running in the Olympics.  Jim knew he was good at running and he knew God created him to run.  Therefore when he ran he experienced his creator's pleasure.

When we do what Jesus created us to do,  He is pleased.  We may feel His pleasure. 

Another real part of creating a piece of art is mistakes.  Many people when drawing, painting or just doing life feel like they totally messed up when they make a mistake.  I have told art students and told peers that mistakes in art are opportunities.  An artist that lives in a state of grace while creating knows that a "mistake" is not the end of the piece but an opportunity to add something a little different then what they expected. The mistake may add another layer of texture of a detail that makes the art even better. 

I feel like that is how we should look at life.  Look at your mistakes, your so-called failures or inability to "measure-up" as opportunities for THE Artist to create something different and beautiful in your life. 

Some of the most beautiful art has very light colors and very dark colors.  There is a lot of contrast.  And so maybe it is with us,  we have BRIGHT times of great joy and victory and dark times of struggle and self doubt.  Maybe it's all a part of the great masterpiece God is creating from your life.  The dark times are not mistakes but the backdrop to the bright days of greater beauty God wants to display in your life. 

Remember YOU ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP! You are his piece of Art work, his greatest masterpiece.  He promises to make beauty from ashes and to work all things together for our good.  To take our mistakes and failures and make them "work" into the canvas of our lives.

p.s. Click on the pictures to see them larger!

To Trust

     I wrote this bit on Jan. 5th. I wrote it in response to a very difficult month our family has been going through.  I believe that crises or sickness of any kind can be an opportunity. An opportunity for God to deal deeply with that person. I believe physical healing is needful, but inner emotional healing may be even more important.  

     Sometimes when I write it's like I'm connecting with the creative flow of my Creator.  I'll read what I wrote after and it's so moving to myself.  It's like it's beyond myself. It can be raw sometimes.  It comes from my heart, my inner life. My life in Christ.  Maybe I connect with God in a special way, like He's whispering in my ear creating with me and through me.  Maybe that's what they call "the anointing."  This is one of the things he made me to be. An artist, and sometimes that's creating art with my words.  

     I'm actually a bit nervous sharing this with you. It's me being vulnerable. This is written from my inner core, my heart.  To be an artist is to share your heart with the world.  The ultimate artist God, did just that.  He gave his heart, his son Jesus to the world in the most daring, shocking, beautiful display of art. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

To Trust

To trust is to be at peace.

 To let love flow, like the ocean, to give like the going out of the tide. 

To receive like the tide coming in.

To not trust is to be frozen, like a giant lake in the winter. 

You can't breath, you can't relax-the soul can't be at ease. 

Loving is as natural as breathing, as natural as the breathing of the ocean. 

As it gives and takes. 

To trust is to truly live. 

To trust someone, and someone greater than yourself to love you is ultimately to live.

  To allow the life or your Creator to breath in you, so you can receive,

 and so you can give.

  In turn so that you can trust those around you.  

Not to demand, not to control, but to be.

  To be at peace, at ease...

 as you would lying on a beach, a smile on your face, the sun warming you.

 Embracing you with it's soft easy glow.  

The ocean at peace with the earth.

 Breathing, giving and taking.

 At peace with who it was made to be.

 Rejoicing in being, in doing what it was made to do.

 Reflecting the sky and the Sun.

  Giving to the living creatures enfolding them in it's living life giving womb.

  Allowing the earth to hold  it, it is cradled in the arms of the earth.

  Entwined like lovers, where one starts and one ends the passion and love creating a beauty, a dance-a balance.

  Without one you could not have the other.  

Different in and of themselves. But so whole and complete in the arms of the other.

  Giving and receiving, like the fall and rise of breathing.  Everything holds and is held.

  

The love balance of all creation.

  The love balance of the Creator to the created.

  The love balance of us to each other. 

It is a dance, a story, started before time.

  A romance that will live beyond time.

 It is our essence.  It is the heart of the Creator.

 It started in the Creator, exploded out into the creation, starting it all.

At the center of it all is love.

  For He is love.  Love holds it all together. Stay in that love.

  It is life and will hold you together.

  Give to Love, receive His love.

  It is the only true life. 

Let it wash over you like the breathing of the waves for it is your breath.

  Your soul's breath.

 Let His life be your life and in turn you will live in Love.

Marie

Wednesday

January 5th, 2011

(I took these ocean pictures in Jamaica in 2008 in Montego Bay when I was staffing a DTS with YWAM out of NYC.)

"Dreamer" I finally painted!

While home on a bit of vacation from my time in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan I finally did the painting thing.

I dunno but for me as an artist, more so with drawing and painting it's a bit of an emotional leap to start a piece of art. Not sure why :) any ideas?

Anyways there's this wonderful picture my sister took of herself with her boyfriend (now an x) where she looks awesome. It has these wonderful contrasts. Very dark values and very light values.

Soo one morning I did my computar stuff than in my unwashed state and still in my pj's I set up my painting stuff in my sisters bedroom (she has a sort of easel) and I started painting.

I first painted the background black with blue mixed in. Than I traced the shape of her face with white paint and went from there.

Some tricky areas were her eyes especially. When an eye is hardly seen (her right eye) it's hard to know how to do it. And I had trouble with the nose. I also had to go in and adjust the lips. When they were "First done" they looked to tensed up.

I haven't painted in acrylic for years... my last big painting project was the set for our churches christmas project.

I had fun on this...there were times when I was a bit on edge cus there were elements that I had to work at...had to mold and even redo or adjust.

I really like how this painting came out.

"Dreamer"

it's also listed in my etsy store:
www.mariesmiracles.etsy.com