"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." Psalms 91:14-16 (KJV) This painting was my second oil painting, and I think that is when I totally fell in love with painting. At the time, I didn't really think about what this painting could mean from a spiritual perspective as I was working on it. Later the Lord did reveal to me so many things. As I grew in the Lord through the many trials that He had allowed and is still allowing me to go through; my eyes have been opened to how much He truly loves me. He will never leave me nor will He forsake me, and as I go through the difficulties, trials or sufferings that He has allowed, I know that He will deliver me from them in such a way that I could not even imagine.
As I look at the painting, the first thing that I see are the waves crashing against the three rocks, and it reminds me so much of what the Lord has allowed in my life...death of loved ones, financial struggles, the health challenges of my children, among other things. As I look at the storm clouds surround the whole picture, I can allow my vision to be clouded by all that I am going through and not be able to see what the Lord wants me to see. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father sees right through those clouds, and is able to see the whole picture. He knows the outcome! He knows the end result of the storm. Eventually, the storm may end, and we may feel that there was so much destruction surrounding it, that we can't find the beauty, the hidden treasure meant just for us. Maybe we need to look for the beauty even in a storm. I love going to the ocean and yes, I even love to see the power of the waves crashing against the rocks. Have you ever taken a walk on the shore after a storm? You would be surprised to see so many hidden treasures there are on the shore, and even some beauty. It could be the broken shells, reminding us of our brokenness, suffering or other trials in our lives, but then we come across smooth stones reminding us that through of all this, our Heavenly Father is smoothing us out into the image of His Son. We have a choice to make...we can sit inside and hide from the storm hoping it will go away or we can embrace it, by watching and trusting the Creator, knowing that He sees the end result. I choose to embrace the storm and then, see what special treasures He has waiting for me to find at the end ... for He sees the Solitary View.
0 Comments
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14 When my husband and I were married, our desire was to have six children. One thing I have learned, is that God's ways are not always our ways. I entitled this series of paintings "Our Miracle Masterpiece" as each of these girls are miracles that the Lord has allowed my husband and I to bring into this world to raise. It took us five years to have our oldest, Angela (the first painting). We had, had a miscarriage a year after we were married and then were told we probably would not be able to have any children of our own. This devastated us, but we kept hoping that the Lord would intervene and allow us to have a child of our own. I was almost three months pregnant before I found out that our precious baby was on her way. What a joy to find out, but in the back of my mind I worried whether I would lose her through miscarriage also. The Lord allowed her to be born on March 27th during an ice storm. She did have to stay in the hospital longer than was expected as she was very jaundice. She is a miracle as we never thought we would be able to have her. Our second little one, Joelle, was a miracle as we thought we would have to wait a long time for her as we did for Angela, but again the Lord intervened, and Joelle was brought into this world two years later on May 17th. She too had a rough start after birth as she had a reaction to the medication they had given me during labor. She didn't breathe at first and was very blue. Once again the Lord proved that He was the author and giver of life and brought her through it and what a joy to hear her cry. She, too, was a special miracle sent from the Lord. Our fourth child and third painting, Samara, was a surprise as we thought the Lord had filled our small quiver. (I will explain our third child at the end.) What a blessed surprise to found out that she was coming into our lives. My pregnancy with her was not easy, as I was a lot older. There were also some complications. I had extra amniotic fluid and after several tests, we were not sure if our child would have special needs or not. The one thing I wanted to hear, was her crying as I never heard my third child's cry. When she was born on May 21st, she definitely made herself known by the loudest cry that I have ever heard. That cry brought much joy to my heart. She did have some complications at the beginning as she had a heart murmur. Her heart is fine now. The Lord has blessed her with a contagious laugh and a tender heart for others. She too is our miracle from the Lord. Our third child, Gabriella Joy, was a miracle in another way...a way we didn't expect. Her painting is not here as she went home to be with the Lord on the day she was born, July 11th. Someday, I hope, with the Lord's help that I will be able to do a painting of her and tell her story more. You might be asking, "How can her death be a miracle?" I choose not to look at her death, but at her life not just in my womb but in Heaven. She never felt pain here on this earth, was never hurt by others' words, never disobeyed her parents and never turned her back on God. She is in the presence of her Savior. I choose to see the miracle in that, because of what Christ did on the cross for all our sins and then rose from the grave to conquer death, I will see my little girl again, someday. That is the Most Miraculous Miracle of ALL! 1 Peter 3:15 states, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meek- ness and fear." Our Principal, at the school where I teach had asked me to draw a minuteman for him as it is our school's mascot. I ended up drawing two pictures as I ran out of room on the first one and could only draw to his waist. Where our school/church is located, minutemen would stop there on their way to Lexington, MA to prepare for fighting in the Revolutionary War, so that is the reason for the minuteman mascot. When I was thinking of a title for this drawing, I was reminded of how the minutemen were given their name. They had to be ready at a moment's notice to protect their families and their homeland. On a spiritual level, I am reminded that I need to be ready to give an answer for my faith in my Savior. That means I need to be in God's Word and to remember to let Christ be seen in me in all that I do. I need to be ready at a moment's notice as I fight a different battle...one for lost souls. What about you? Have you made Christ real in your life? Are you ready to give an answer to your faith in the One who gave His life for you? Maybe you haven't made Him real...what's stopping you? God's Plan of Salvation 1. All of us have sinned: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 2. Sin must be paid for: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." Romans 6:23 3. Jesus Christ paid for our sins: "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 4. What must you and I do? "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 5. How can we know that we are going to Heaven? "These things are written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." 1 John 5:13 I did this drawing for my husband. I really enjoyed working on it and praying for him. He loves farm life and I wanted to remind him that the Lord has blessed us in so many ways...ways that we might not even realize. I did this by drawing things that are special to him and to others. For the 'man thing', I included his love for John Deere tractors, farming and pigs. I also wanted to add more personal things from our life together. The apple trees represent our life together in New Hampshire, and the mouse going into the barn represents our many 'mouse stories'. I added sheep in the pasture to represent several things... myself, as I love sheep and our daughters as they are our precious little lambs that the Lord has blessed us with. There is one little lamb looking up towards Heaven along with three butterflies in front of her. This particular lamb represents our daughter, Gabriella Joy, who went to Heaven at birth. The three butterflies represent our little ones who are also waiting for us in Heaven. We never had the privilege of holding these precious ones as they went to Glory through the miscarriages I had. Last of all, the dog under the tree, is our first dog we had together. His name was Bruiser. Jeff loved him so much and still misses him. I also wanted to remind my husband, that even Bruiser was a blessing from the Lord. I hope we will take the time to remember the MANY blessings the Lord has given us, even the tough times. It is in the tough times, that the Lord will take our weaknesses and make them perfect through His strength in us.
I have some very dear friends who felt the Lord was leading them on a different path than the one they were already on. They took a large step of faith by resigning from the job that he was doing, putting their house up for sale and trusting the Lord to lead them in the direction He wanted them to go. The Lord provided for their needs in so many amazing ways. My friend helped me to organize and participate in an art show. At that time the Lord laid on my heart to paint a special picture for him and his wife as they planned to moved away from our beautiful state.
I love to have symbolism in the art work I do, as I want there to be a message bringing glory to my Lord. As I work on each art piece, whether it is in my studio or some other place, I love to listen to music. As I was listening to a specific song, I thought about my friends and all that they were going through and all of a sudden the Lord laid on my heart what needed to be painted and the message behind it. As I painted the path, it reminded me of the unknown path they were taking. They didn't know what road the Lord was leading them down but I wanted them to remember that the Lord was their Faithful, Enduring Friend, Patient Savior, Author and Healer of their soul. Not only were they traveling on an unknown path they were also going through some emotional trials. I painted a small stone on the path to remind them and everyone else that what we might see as a huge boulder (the unknown future, trying to sell a house in the middle of a recession, finances, etc) the Lord sees as a small stone that He can step over. I also wanted to encourage my friend that even though the unknown may seem scary at times especially as being the leader of his home, the Lord was there to see them through it all. In the painting, I had him walking towards the dark barn (representing the unknown future) but that the Lord (represented by the light shining in the barn) knows what is in the future and will see them through it. Outside the barn, his family was enjoying the different things the Lord had provided for them. I wanted them to remember to rest in the fact that the Lord does care. The Lord didn't want the two of them to be sidetracked by the pressures they were facing or lose out on the precious memories He was creating for them with their little family. Things like playing in the leaves, hiding behind a tree, enjoying an apple on a beautiful autumn day and the joy of picking apples with the whole family. As I finished the painting, I hoped they would realize that a part of me would go with it. I wanted them to know that the Lord would never leave them nor would He forsake them. He would see them through it all. His GRACE is so amazing!!! "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Psalm 91:1-2 (KJV)
I started working on this drawing just before our youngest daughter, Samara, was having some health issues involving severe migraines. During choir practice one day, we were practicing a song with the same title as this drawing. That's when the Lord laid on my heart to draw a picture of Samara embraced in the arms of Jesus. As I worked on it, not only did I pray for my daughter, but for others who were going through difficult times. No matter what trial we may be going through, it is a comfort knowing that Jesus Christ is our refuge and our strength. If we allow Christ to hold us close to Him, we may even hear His heart beating. We might not be able to see God's hand in our circumstances, but we can definitely TRUST His heart! My purpose in this piece was to encourage others who may be going through a difficult time, that they would just lean unto the One who loves them the MOST. Just let God hold you close. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble them- selves; and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) When terrorists hit our country on September 11, 2001, I was very emotional as I watched the news and then the memorial services for all the ones that perished, as I am sure so many were. As I sat there watching, the camera focused on our then President, George W. Bush. He had tears streaming down his face. They were real and not put on for the cameras. That made an impact on me. I started to pray for him as I knew that he would have difficult decisions to make because of all that had happened. When we went to war, he was criticized but I continued to pray for him. I had read that he would get up really early and have his quiet time with the Lord. Though, I continued praying for him, I asked the Lord what could I do to encourage him. I wanted him to know that there were many praying and to continue to go to the Lord for guidance. The Lord laid on my heart to do a portrait of him. My first reaction to that was ..."You're kidding, right Lord?" I really hadn't done that many portraits...but it was so clear. I reminded Him that this would be going to the President of the United States. The Lord doesn't need reminding of anything...but if He lays something on my heart to do, I DO need to be obedient to His leading. I started praying and seeking advice from the best Artist ever...my Heavenly Father. I was having my devotions one day and it "happened" to be on 2 Chronicles 7:14. As I read it, it was as if the Lord just opened my eyes to what He wanted. I was going to paint a picture but instead He laid on my heart to do a graphite drawing. I started to search for photos of President Bush praying, but I was specific...I needed to see that tear streaming down his cheek. I started to do composites of him and of his hands. I wanted to have it be a combination of different things in his life that drew him to be humble before the Lord. He had mentioned about his prayer life and quiet time with the Lord, so I wanted his hands on an open Bible. The passage the Lord laid on my heart to choose was 2 Chronicles 7:14. That was going to be the focal point of the picture. Yes, his profile with head bowed in prayer (with a tear going down his cheek) was in the center, but I wanted the hands folded on the opened Bible to that particular passage, to be the focal point. The twin towers are in the upper right hand corner as reminder to all of us of the terror we may face but yet the flag in the other corner reminds us that this country was founded under Biblical principles. I did send this to him in December of 2005. A few months later, someone wanted me to market this picture, but I kept telling them that I didn't do it for that, but to encourage a brother in the Lord. They said that maybe it would encourage others to pray for him and our country, so I started to draw it again. When I do a piece of art for someone, I will pray for them as I work on the piece. It took me 22 hours each time I worked on these drawings, so I had the privilege to pray for our President for 44 hours. The second time I drew the picture, I added tears streaming off his hands onto the open Bible and also added tear stains on the pages of the Bible. The second picture now hangs in my classroom as a reminder to pray for our country and our leaders. It is a constant prayer of mine also, that I will always have a humble heart before my LORD. When my mom was seventeen years of age, she married my dad right out of high school. She had me two years later at the age of nineteen. I wasn't yet a year old, when my dad decided to move from New England to the West with my mom being newly pregnant with my brother. I am sure it was not easy for her to leave everything she knew, to go cross country with her husband of not quite three years, her 6-7 month old baby daughter and being newly pregnant, but she did.
My dad would have to work out of town many times and I am sure she felt lonely during those times. She didn't have the internet, or even unlimited long distance phone service to call family back East. I often think about this and realized how much strength my mom truly had. I never heard her complain about anything but just did what she had to do. She didn't know the LORD yet but I am so glad that He knew her. He sent a sweet lady to her, inviting her to a ladies' Bible Study and that is where my mom met her Savior. My mom shared her new faith with my dad, who had claimed to be an atheist. He wanted nothing to do with her new faith, so she and others prayed for him to see his need of the One who loved him so much to die for him. After a short while, my dad did come to Christ. As a young child, I thought I was going to Heaven because of my parents, but it wasn't until my mom, brother and I were back East visiting family, and while my mom was sharing the Gospel with her sisters and parents, that I realized I, too, was a sinner heading for Hell and that I couldn't get to Heaven on my parents' merits. The next month, I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to be my Savior. My mom thought that she never did much for the LORD, but she did in her own quiet way. She was so instrumental to me getting saved and many others, but unfortunately, I don't think she realized that. What does all of this have to do with the painting? I wanted to share a little of my mom's story before sharing the story of this painting. Mom went home to be with the Lord unexpectedly on December 30, 2005. About three weeks before that she had told me that she wanted me to sing "When We See Christ" at her funeral some day. I told her that we didn't need to talk about that at the time but I did tell her that I would see. To sing at your mother's funeral, I thought, would be the most difficult thing to do. After she went home to be with the Lord and we were planning her memorial service, I told my father that she had wanted me to sing that song. I didn't know how I was going to do it but I did know that I wanted the Lord to be glorified through it. I also knew that nothing was impossible if the Lord was behind it. With His strength, I was able to sing that song along with another song that I sang with my voice teacher, ( "His Way is Perfect"). I look back now, knowing that it was only possible because of the One I wanted glorified!!! One year later, I started an art course, as my mother wanted me to grow in my art. For my final project, I had to do a mixed media, which I had never done before. A lot of prayer went into this piece. I wanted it to be something that I would be able to witness to my teacher and give God the glory. He laid on my heart a memorial to my mother. This mixed media is dedicated to my mother and to our Savior; because of Him dying for our sins and rising from the dead, I will see my mother again, for she also had received Christ as her Savior as have I. I love the ocean and see so much symbolism in the many things that God has created in life. I started off with the song, "When We See Christ", on the mound of sand. It keeps me focused to the fact that He is always with me no matter what I go through. As you go down from the mound near the bottom, I placed two sand dollars; then three starfish in front of the sand dollars. The sand dollars reminds me of my relationship with my Savior (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). The two sand dollars represent that my mother and I have been redeemed by Christ dying for our sins. As you go down on the beach, you will notice the broken shells which represent the trials we go through. When you come to the sand dollar broken in half, it represents the time when we as believers, represented by the small doves, pass from this earth to our Heavenly home where Christ awaits to be the first to greet us. I know then, that I will be able to say that it was worth it all when I see Him, which takes you back to the song, "When We See Christ". I, also, look forward to that time when I will be reunited with my mom and we worship our Savior together. "Now the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13 (KJV) |
Karen's Artistic Thoughts
I decided as I was working on this website, that a blog would be a way to explain what goes through my mind as I work on each piece the Lord has laid on my heart. Archives
November 2022
|