Reflections On Light

"Little Easters"  8"x 8" Encaustic  "Brother Lawrence said that in order to form a habit of conversing with God continually and referring all we do to Him, we must at first apply to Him with some diligence. Then, after a little care, we would find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty. He expected after the pleasant days God had given him, he would have his turn of pain and suffering. Yet he was not uneasy about it. Knowing that, since he could do nothing of himself, God would not fail to give him the strength to bear them." Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God

Parables are filled with imagery that is good for the soul. When thinking about how to go about creating artwork that speaks truth through symbol and image, looking to the Gospels is a powerful resource.  Marcus Grodi, host of The Journey Home on EWTN, wrote a book called "Life from Our Land: The Search for a Simpler Life in a Complex World." In it he tells personal stories of how his family learned to work an inherited land in the mostly wooded, clay bed, foothill country of the Appalachian mountains. He grew up a city boy and though he and his family knew very little about how to make the land productive, they researched and learned what they had been given. His book ties together spiritual lessons with a growing understanding of the physical earth placed in their care.  One of the chapters in Grodi's book is titled "Stewardship" and delves into the job we've been given as humans to take care of the earth. He uses the parable of the sower and the different...

Before I go much further I need to share that there's a little voice that keeps telling me that what I'm doing here isn't really something others want to read or process. I get tempted to close up and keep it all to myself. I'm sharing because this processing is part of the journey of why I am choosing to create works of art and it is a way to be more collected in thought and purpose. If someone finds something of value in these words or works of art, that is a praise to God and something I will trust Him with. For me, I am thankful to have a keyboard to type out these rather random, yet encouraging points of focus for my own personal direction in pursuing something that's been a dream of mine and is now coming to a new formation and a possible realization.    "Dark Night of the Soul"   6"x 6" Encausti c "Art is inherently manifesting ideas and concepts into pictures and words that we are at a loss to describe plainly. Similarly, when God ca...

 I've been reading and re-reading the 1st chapter of "The Practice of the Presence of God" looking for truths that I may have missed. One thing that Bro Lawrence said that really grips my attention is "We ought to give ourselves up to God with regard both to things temporal and spiritual and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will. Whether God led us by suffering or by consolation all would be equal to a soul truly resigned." This feels quite profound to a person in their late 40's. The idea of it was taught in my youth and I knew even then that suffering had its own merits, however, when you find yourself having to make decisions that could lead down the path of a starving artist, you (I) can question whether suffering and living without is a great decision especially when you have other people in your care.  I have to remind myself that Pastors and missionaries make these decision every day. Not a few PK's and MK's have complained ...

Studying the life of someone like Brother Lawrence is quite inspiring and yet, comparing oneself to someone like him can seem quite taxing, wondering how anyone could attain the sort of internal peace and submission that he was able to find. While speaking to a friend who has a very different personality type than my own, I realized that his views on Bro Lawrence are affected by the way he views life and by his own spiritual experiences. This friend pointed out that while it was wonderful that Bro L was able to submit quite easily to the will of God and to not concern himself with the issues and faults of men, that this must have been a great grace that he received because for most of us, we don't even know how to begin to get to a place where we could find that peace. This friend would describe himself as a worrier who has almost unattainable expectations of himself and others. To find a true peace within is a real struggle, almost a battle. So I wonder if what appears to be a sto...

It has always been a quandary to me why people don't believe in God. I am blown away by His evidence in nature, especially in the changing of the seasons and the beauty of life coming from the tiniest of seeds. Brother Lawrence spoke of this as something that had captured his attention as a young man. He sensed the high "Providence and Power of God" while viewing a barren tree in winter, knowing it would soon push forth leaves and fruit. These thoughts of God never left him. They had perfectly set him loose from the world and kindled in him such a love for God, that he could not tell whether it had increased in the 40 years since it had appeared. (Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God, Ch. 1)

 A conversation that took place 354 years ago is serving as a point of focus and direction for my continued art making journey. I came upon it as I glanced around my room at the many books lying about and rummaged through my husband's Kindle collection. This home truly has a wonderful array of meaningful writings from which to gather all kinds of inspirational truths. Honestly, I could pick any one of these writings and find food for thought and expression. And yet, there was a voice that reminded me that finding something too weighty or too glorious was not my goal. I needed to select something simple and life-giving that could serve as a launching point for the endeavor before me. I am simple and cannot bare the thought of working out this new project with words that I might drown in. Of course, having said that, I am well aware of the fact that the book I have selected to draw truth from is simple in appearance and yet it holds some of the most beautiful lessons about what it me...