It Began Here

This comment holds more truth than most will admit to. The wife and I were having problems with our local government so we called our representative. They came to our house and we talked. He said he would help in exchange for our vote. It was obvious he was more interested in his position than with our problem. After he left Jill and I talked and we agreed we did not like our experience. Neither of us were going to to vote in this particular local election but we voted against the local representative. He lost by one vote. It does not matter which of our votes was the difference. One vote by one person changed the outcome of the race. It is a good example of one person making the difference. It is true for both good and evil. The fall from grace in the garden of Eden is another example. The choice of Adam and Eve in this instance meant the fall from grace, physically walking in and with the spirit of God. Was it forever lost?

Humankind was originally created to be the representative image of God on earth.(Gen 1:27) The fall from grace ended that. Eden was closed and mankind was banned from entering Eden.(Gen 3:23,24) God took pity and gave us laws to follow. Mankind either twisted them to suite his own wants and needs or ignored them altogether. How is this important? Look back through history, especially bible history and you will see something amazing. How often did God use the multitude to change things with His people? The soul shaking changes came with single leaders not the multitudes. Walking with/in the Spirit of God was never rescinded. With the birth of John the baptist also came the birth of Jesus. Jesus began His ministry but it needed the services of John to be fully realized. When John baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit was seen descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove.(Mk 1:9-11) Jesus walked IN and WITH the Spirit of God. He became the representative of God on earth. After He was crucified buried and rose from the dead, He visited His disciples on several occasions but on one of those occasions the Spirit of God came upon them and they began Speaking in other languages to the amazement of the crowd of onlookers near by.(Acts 10:37-39 & 44-48) This was all long ago you say and has no base in reality for today you say! Really????? Were you baptized when you were little? Baptism in the Spirit of God is not dead, just unrealized or unaccepted. The Spirit is alive and well for all that will accept it. All that is needed is to ask for it. It matters not that someone is of high birth or lowly pauper, highly educated or of simple mind. The spirit of God makes no distinction for those who truly seek Him. Walking in the Spirit changes lives, perspectives and vision. It does not promise safety in this world but it does assure a safe place in the next.

Today I would like to share a Christmas card from our dear friend Darnell. Thank you Darnell.

The image I am sharing next was colored some time ago. I don't remember sharing it so here it is.(All images are done with Copics)

This image is also one done some time ago. It may or may not have been shared.

This is a House mouse image that was done as the others, some time ago.

I hope this posting was informative and the images were enjoyed. This will most likely be the final post for this year. May you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. Remember to always Love The Details.

God Bless

Where to Begin

At first this seems strange that I would use a quote from Budda. It is not off the path taken in our walk in the spirit. What is walking in the spirit? Christ has sent upon us an advocate, the Holy Spirit. First and foremost it is walking with everything that makes us who we are focused on Yahweh, the  Holy Spirit and Christ. Because you have accepted the Holy Spirit you have begun a new life and a new vision. You may even feel different, full of new life, alive and full of hope. There is one thing to be realized with this new life. It will die quickly without a constant prayer life. It cannot endure without taking time to commune with and through the Holy spirit. It has often been shared that God has abandoned someone. Not true! He has not gone anywhere. Being outside of your prayer life, you have left His presence not the other way around. Prayer on a daily basis is what keeps you in touch with Christ and God. Find a place where you will be alone to pray, a place where the world is not a distraction and interruptions can be controlled. It does not matter if that place is the bathroom, a closet or the middle of the attic or some secluded field. My favorite places are on my walks and the bathroom. Meditation in a serene environment are also good choices but sometimes the quiet and stillness is needed. My favorite example of that is 1 Kings 19:9-14. Why? If you have ever been in a cave you know it is VERY quiet. The perfect place to talk to and listen for the voice of God. That is often required since God most often speaks to our hearts in soft whispers and rarely loudly. That is not to say He does not speak to us loudly because He does at times. Learning to listen is as important if not more important than constantly praying. How else wound you know he has answered? I know people who are constantly praying and speaking but spend little or no time listening. Pray constantly but take time to listen as well. I believe the highest kind of prayer is the quiet time spent with our Lord. More is shared in quiet time than any other time before the Lord. It is not a contradiction. Constant busyness is not quality time with the Lord. In time it becomes clear He wants both from us. God wants us to come with our wants and needs but He also wants to tell us what He has for us. Walking in the spirit is not unlike talking to someone you physically love and trust. You share things and it is personal, special. It is not one sided but shared by both parties. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. It is on a special, deep and personal level. It is different since He is not physically in front of us but He is real and He is always next to us. Walking with Him in the spirit will reveal His presence.


This post I will share two images taken from Pinterest. Both are hand drawn. As is true with most images posted on Pinterest I do not know the artists. I am only interested in coloring the images. The first is a pencil drawing of a puppy.

   It reminds me of the puppy we had. His name was, of course, Snoopy.

 The next image was a antique image. Only the hat and face are colored. The rest of the image was left as-is for effect. 

                    

                         

There may or may not be another posting before Christmas. This is a very busy time of year. Please have a VERY HAPPY AND FESTIVE HOLLIDAY. MY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL WELL AND SAFE. Remember to always Love The Details.

Love or Judgement

I did not have to search far for this Quote. It has far reaching implications. In the series of posts currently being shared I am trying to share what walking in (with) the Spirit of God means. (John 14:16) This is an impossible task in such limited space or time. Jesus put it as simply and direct as it could possibly be stated in Mark 10:17-22. Earthly riches are fleeting. If you read down to verse 31 you will find that the reward of walking in the spirit with Christ has an eternal reward. Is this a judgement? Yes and No. It is a reality check. Verse 21 Says Jesus felt love for the rich man. Because he was rich? Hardly! Because, though he was rich, he recognized Jesus had what he did not. The spirit of God had touched his heart and he had responded. The problem was he was still based on the things of this world. You can almost feel the sadness Jesus felt when the rich young man walked away disappointed with the answer Jesus gave. This world bases who you are on what you own. Your status is good until your death. Without the spirit of God in your life it is of no worth at all. It is a judgement on your life. That is not to say God does not allow wealth in your life. The wealth Jesus speaks of is in the spiritual realm where He and God the father reside. There are other things that people covet including diplomas, positions of status etc. These are ego and status things. Egos are not of the Lord. They can exist in any manner of forms. Most are for control of people, places or things. Yes, wealth is one of those places where ego is alive and well. Wealth can yield power and power corrupts. Real love will put ego aside and place itself in harms way for someone else. To fully walk in the spirit, love will be foremost in your life. (1 John 4:7-21 & Psalm 103) Walking in the spirit is a different way of seeing and living in this world. Walking in the Spirit is a preparation for the life to come. It is a walk toward freedom from a fallen world. It is a walk toward a celebration of new life. 

Here are three more of the Hollyhock images I colored. I will post the last 4 images in the next post. Enjoy!      

Copic Colors

R46, Rv69, V04, Y13, Yg63, G16, Yg67

Copic Colors

E09, Y02, E30, Y18, Y13, YG63, YG45, YG17

Copic Colors

V09, V12, V4, Y18, Y02, Yg67, Yg63

That is it for this time around. God bless everyone and take care of yourselves. Remember to always Love The Details.

On a Personal Level

Helen Keller was right on so many levels with that comment. 
The unseen world is a scary place. We fear what cannot be seen or touched. She lived in it all of her life and found the spirit within and her heart spoke to her in ways those with sight can't see. Many refuse to believe there is such a place in this day and age. The human spirit is oft talked about as is the Holy Spirit and yet few believe in a spirit world. It is a very hard subject to write about without something to hold, touch or see as proof of it being real. That does not mean it does not exist. In Psalm 31:5 David commits his soul into Gods hands. In Luke 26:46 Jesus declares from the Cross "into your hands I commit my spirit" then died. In Acts 7:59 Steven declared as he was stoned to death, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." There are many more examples in scripture. Is our faith so weak as to think there is no such thing as spiritual existence?

I have been posting about the spirit in our lives and living in the spirit on the community level. It begins with the individual, YOU. Despite what you may think or been told it does not and cannot begin without you surrendering to the Holy Spirit of God. (Romans 10:13) It is not going to be a "grab you by the scruff of the neck and shake you into submission" kind of happening. YOU have to make that decision to ask for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to come into your life. In a way it is a selfish thing to do because you want something better, something more fulfilling in your life. Giving yourself to God through Jesus and the Holy spirit is humbling and something that many seek but few find or experience. Fulfillment. It is fulfillment of emptiness that power and possessions are unable to satisfy. This is where each individual is unique in their experience with the walk in the spirit. This is not a promise of riches, of worldly things or self gratification or any worldly thing. For most it is not instant in its results but something to be grown into. Walking in the spirit means becoming a reflection of Christ in your life, in fact a way of life guided by the Holy Spirit. It is a leap of faith. It is where faith grows stronger and your sins are brought to light, confessed and forgiven. It is where the heart can find fullness instead of emptiness. If there is a christian community near you be sure to begin your walk hand and hand with them. Have you the faith to step into the care of Christ? 

Today I have several Images I colored for a friend. Since childhood I remember my grandmothers hollyhock garden. They have been a favorite ever since. They have a paper look that has been a fascination to me. I did some research and the color pallet for them is considerable. some 40 to 60 colors are available. As with most flowers blue is not one of them. Since there 10 images I will spread them over several posts. The stamp also has a matched die You can find them at Taylored Expressions. There are ten variations and this is the first three.

Copic Colors

RV14, E30, Y13, Y18, YG09, G14, 0 to lighten for contrast

                   Copic Colors

RV69, R00, Y18, YG17, G14, YG09, 0 to lighten for contrast

Copic Colors

Y18, Y13, R00, RV69, YG17, G14, 0 to lighten for contrast

That is about it for now. Remember to always Love The Details.

Community

The above quote above is amazing in many respects. Anne Frank knew her chances of being found and killed as a Jew during WWII were high and yet she still chose to see the beauty of the life around her. This was a girl that had everything to live for. She chose to see the bright side of life. (Philippians 2:5-8) “⁵ Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. ⁷ But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, ⁸ he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.” I can't help but believe that the spiritual beliefs instilled by the Jewish community she came from had a great deal to do with that. A community cannot impart such a strong sense of faith and belief without a spiritual base. Why would I say that? Religion of and in itself is subject to the interpretation of the people governing the community and therefore it is also subject to the moral foundation of those same leaders. The Hebrews, before the destruction of their homeland by the Romans, were ruled over by the Pharisees and Seduces. The only thing they were interested in was money, position and control of the people. In short they were focused on self not the people. It was all based on strict adherence to the laws passed down through time. Jesus on the other hand was here to set them free from that control and to tell them about God our father and His desire for us. Religion alone is not something God wants for us. A Spiritual community is. This is a place where the spirit can grow and be set free. (Hebrews 3:13-14) "¹³ Every day, as long as this today lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, ¹⁴ because we have been granted a share with Christ only if we keep the grasp of our first confidence firm to the end." The spirit of Jesus and Yahweh are not the spirit of control but of freedom. Read scriptures and learn from them. Put aside the cares and troubles of this world. Let the full word of God come into your very being. This is where healing begins. It is the beginning of a spiritual walk and the knowledge and wisdom that God wants to impart to us. That freedom is the place where Christ and the community meld and become one. It is a place where love and caring for God and His people become all that matters.  This is what the spiritual life is. It can only happen in the community of brothers and sisters with the Holy Spirit. {Matt. 11:28; John 7:37; Acts 17:27; Hebrews 4:12; Rev. 21:6, 22:17. (All references are from the Jerusalem Bible and may be slightly different in your version)} 

This post I have two cards to share with you. The first is from Em. She included it with her anniversary card for August 31. This is for my birthday on the 15th of this month. It is a genuine work of art. The picture does not do justice to it. Thank you Em.

Somehow the background got washed out in the flash. I used a ring flash which usually eliminates shadows and enhances the image.

The next card is from my sister in Arizona. 

    
Since I my photo enhancing program stopped working with windows 10 I also lost my ability to correct and enhance images. The programs I am using now lack the feature set I need to do what is needed.

That is about it for this post. Remember to Always Love The Details.

What Now?

Last post was about what our purpose in life was. It was also mentioned how the ancient scribes saw the world they wrote about was different than the way we perceive it today. The main difference is how the ancient's language was understood. What I am finding is that for them words have usages not meanings. By that it means words are defined by how they are used not by a dictionary definition. Many words change meaning depending on the usage. I will not get into this beyond this. Our dictionaries are huge since almost every word has a defined use and meaning. It is why the bible we use today in many ways does not convey the complete meaning of the original Hebrew text. It is also partly why the words of the Lord are alive with meaning. 

My study and research has taken me on some unexpected paths. It is very revealing to understand how the ancients saw their world and understood what God was telling them. In our time and experience we fall short of understanding the original Hebrew's perception of their world. They were much more spiritual than we are today. Our world is based on religion instead of spirituality. The saints understood the spiritual way of life. Being spiritual is understanding that the body we occupy is only a vessel to grow in spiritually. How that spirit grows and matures is what matters. The body is not eternal but the spirit is. The body will return to the earth it was formed from but the spirit will be free from the body to join the Lord or be banished to Hell. Living the spiritual life is to live as our father in heaven teaches our spirit to live. We are spiritual babes not yet born. Our bodies are our cribs. Our bodies get worn and battered throughout our lives. The spirit within feels the pain and strain of a world that does not accept us. Our teacher is the word of God through Jesus Christ. Spirituality is learning to hear through the spirit the voice of Christ as He guides us on our way. It is the spirit within that is the "I Am" that is the you and I that is being born. In the spirit our path through this world is assured, not guaranteed to be without trial, but assured when the spirit within is hand in hand with our Lord Jesus. For me this world is but a stopover, a necessary port of call, on the path to heaven. I am still learning my spiritual place and how to hear the voice that guides me. I am stubborn, easily distracted and sinful. The spirit within is willing but the flesh is weak. The hand that is in my hand is the risen Christ Jesus. He is my spiritual guide. Make Him yours as well. 

Today I would like to share a mini journal that our dear friend Em of Creative EM sent Jill and I for our anniversary. There were two of them, each personalized with our names. Very clever and artistic. It is an honor.

Front

First page - First section

Last page - First section

First page - Second section

Each of the two sections have 9 pages, enough to record special events without any problem. Thank you Em. You are a gem and a special friend.

To all of the friends who visit, Thank You. Your visits are a treasure. Until next post, remember to always Love The Details.

what is my purpose?

Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.Albert Camus
Have you ever wondered what your purpose is in life? There are many avenues to explore, few will get you anywhere. It is a question often asked by me throughout my life. I have tried everything I could think of and found little that brought solace to my soul. Everything should be dedicated to the Lord but still there was an empty place always left unfilled. If there is always an emptiness then what was I missing? What was I created for? I have written about that before on this blog but only partly answered that question. There probably is no complete answer that can be put into words. I am sure if we tried, this blog as well as all of the blogs out there could not contain the complete answer.

There are hints throughout the scriptures hiding in plain sight. The key is not how we see them but how the scribes used and understood what was written down. What we believe today is different from the beliefs then. The original bible language is difficult to translate for that reason. We have little that will convey the full meaning behind the written word. Why? Because the word of God is alive. Read a scripture and the next time you read it, it will have new meaning. Every time thereafter the meaning will be different, fuller. 


If we were to go back to the garden of Eden to find the original purpose for the creation of humankind we might be surprised what we find. God wanted to create us in His image. Read that again and understand what it says. God created us in His image. We were created to be the image of God on this earth. Not to be God but a reflection of Him. When He created us our mandate was to be the reflected image of "I AM" on earth. Not just in appearance but in holiness as well. Sin and free will caused us to be turned out of the garden of Eden. It did not change His desire for us to be a reflection of Him to others. We are sinners, which is not a reflection of Him. Jesus took that sinfulness on Himself and purified us making it possible to once again through repentance and humility to reflect the image of God in our lives. The purpose for our creation and our lives is to be a reflection of "I AM" to others. All things should be part of that purpose. Even the saints strove to be that reflection. Each achieved only in part that purpose. Flawed though we are we can still be a reflection of "I Am". 

This post has a brand new image that I colored. It is an image from color-my-dreams-coloring-book-women found here color-my-dreams-coloring-book-women. It took some time to color it so I hope you like it.

        
The facial coloring is a bit streaky due to one of the colors going dry. I learned some time ago not to try to correct it since too much ink will become glossy.
The Copic colors used are:

That is it for this post. Please always remember to Love The Details.

It is what it is

As life proceeds it appears to pick up its pace in an apparent need to get to its end.  

I would like to apologize for not getting back to those that have visited and personally thank you for stopping by to comment. All of the changes that Google is making have really messed up the way it works. I am still trying to get things working somewhat as they used to. It used to be that when I posted your comments, a notice was sent to my inbox in Google Mail. That no longer works. I have been trying to get it to do that again but nothing seems to work. Thank you again for your comments. They are what keep me motivated to continue. With all that is going on it is hard to create a post that is meaningful.

My thought on life at the top of the post is much the way it appears these days. Funny how when we are young we can't wait to get older to do all of the adult things. Then we become adults and are so busy with jobs, spouses and family we don't notice time passing by. Then we get older only to notice that time is speeding by so quickly that hours and days are a blur, making it hard to remember what day you  are in. The only thing that seems to slow things down somewhat is making ourselves still. It is at these times we can remember the cherished moments, the love, all that is important, all that has become who we are. All else is part of the blur we hardly remember or took notice of for that matter. It would be easy to discard all those blurred, hardly noticed things but they make up the majority of what made us who we are. Life may be a hectic blur, hard to get a clear picture of in our minds. If it has so much as touched the most insignificant part of our life, a port we never even noticed, it is a something that is also a part of the path we are currently on. It cannot be denied or ignored since it is a part of us. Christ is a part of this "hardly noticed" part of our lives. He is always there gently guiding our every action, our every move. (Colossians 3:12)(Psalm 25:4-5)

Today I would like to share some of my favorite images. These images are gorgeous even when they are not Colored, which makes them a challenge and a work of love.

    

The image above is my favorite

They are all from the first few weeks of this blog. They are special to me in many ways. The first two images are from an artist friend in Finland. Her talent is extraordinary as you can see. The last four are from Sugar Nelly. This kind of image is no longer being offered the last time I visited them.

That about wraps up this post. May God bless those of you who visit and comment. You are truly a blessing to me. I am still trying to get the comments to post to my gmail when I approve them but to no avail. I will still pop over to anyone's blog that comments to view you wonderful creations and comment. Remember to Love The Details.

Nothing Is Something

My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.Mitch Hedberg
Have you ever had your DNA tested? My daughter gave me a DNA test kit for Father’s Day. I often wondered when my ancestors came to this country and who the native American ancestor was. I went through the procedure of collecting my sample and sent it off. It was 3.5 weeks for it to be processed. Finally the day came and I was excited and nervous us at the same time. What greeted me was a total shock. It showed NO Irish or Scottish ancestry and NO Native American ancestry. Dumbfounded and in disbelief it took several days to get my bearings back. 

At this point what settled in was a determination to prove the report wrong. Why would my family say things that were not true. My younger sister had been researching and building a family tree. She didn’t have the answer so I began researching as well. Turns out my great grandmother was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1855. Both of her parents are natives of  Ireland. It is still unknown where the Native American is from but we are still researching it. Some branches are back into the 1500’s and could take some time.

The point is that throughout this time I had been resting in the Lord for answers. The feeling of having been stripped of my identity was held in check with prayer and a feeling of well being. He has promised He would be our protector and advocate no matter what. He has our backs at all times. What is assuring to me is that I am who I am and that is what is important. If we are stripped of our earthly identity it does not change the physical or spiritual "I am" that makes us who we are. Yes, it matters to me who my fore fathers were but it is more important to understand that we are in His hands and it matters to Him that we are His children and perfectly who we are right now.

I will add to this search as more is found. There are no crafts this time around. Thank you for your patience. Remember to always Love The Details.

Perfection

It would seem that mankind tends to strive for that which is perfect. Perfection in a fallen world is a nebulous dream at best. Perfection in a world of change is temporary. For us it is better to strive toward continuous improvement. Perfection does not exist in this life. What we often say is perfect is only true until the next new experience. 

Over the years I have watched individuals switch from one church to another, to another and to yet another in search of the perfect church. What they are searching for is a place they are comfortable, a place that is not threatening, a place that does not challenge them. There are a multitude of choices if that is what you are seeking. The problem is there are no "perfect" churches. The ministers and the congregation are often what makes the church dynamic, vibrant and alive. That does not mean it is perfect but it may be the place that suits where you are in this life. It does not mean it is right nor does it mean it is wrong.

I no longer search for perfection but rather for spiritual truth. It is a challenge to search for spiritual truth. It is where wisdom and knowledge are found. Not earthly wisdom and knowledge but that which God provides. It is the ultimate "AHA" moment. It takes us places that are hard to share with others since they are spiritual in nature, not devised by man. The visions or vistas of this word have no equal and thus no comparison to share what the spiritual reveals. Each individuals experience will be unique according to his own uniqueness. That is what makes it difficult to share the spiritual with others in a way that they can appreciate. Even as this is being written I am struggling to describe what, to me, is a very personal experience. 

Some years ago I created a box for the pastor of our Parish. He had said he had no place to store the plans for the church. I wanted to surprise him and by building a box to store those documents. The box I built was 32" X 32" X 32" with no screws or nails. The only screws were in the hinges to the lid. 

       Pope John Paul II Coat or Arms

Emblem of the Papacy

  Pope Benedict XVI Coat of Arms

(from top Left to Right)

VA - circa 1800

Church Naval Insignia circa 1800

Vatican Flag (center)

Holy Church circa 1800

Papal States Flag of Honor 2nd Class

It is hoped your days, weeks and months ahead are happy and prosperous. In this world nothing is written in stone that can be considered forever. Take each day as it is given to you and take none for granted. Bless the Lord for every second and thank Him for everything. Until the next time, remember, Love The Details.