Unforgiven

 

There are many in this generation that are caught up in the cancel culture, tear it down and get rid of it. If there is anything in the past that is not to their liking or it was not of a completely innocent nature then it must be removed. What that says of them is that they have never learned to forgive. It is agreed that some things others have done deserve no honor or remembrance erected to honor them but some have served the nation or others in a positive way that has created the need to remember that accomplishment. The quote today says it all. The greatest of us have all done things that are in need of forgiveness at some point. Self forgiveness included. Is it that the deed in need of forgiveness finds no forgiveness of ones self? Then how can that person find forgiveness for others? Is it that forgiveness has been absent for something done in your life? Has it grown as an abscess with pain, anger and hate? Forgiving can lessen or remove that pain, anger and hate. Call yourself a Christian? Not if you have no forgiveness in your heart! We have just gone through a celebration of ultimate forgiveness. EASTER! The requirement of that sacrifice is forgiving others and  yes forgiving yourself. (Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:15 & 18:21-22) For you to be forgiven requires that you forgive. Do you  partake of the body of Christ at church services? (Matthew 26:28) Do you say the Lord's prayer? (Matthew 6:14) We need to remember that we are not perfect either. How many more reminders do we need? There are many, many that can be given, the greatest of which are in scripture. Tearing down reminders such as statues or plaques or causing products to be renamed or other items may remove the reminders but the hate, pain and stain of unforgiving hearts will not go away until forgiveness is learned and practiced. It is a practice that is an integral part of  Christianity. It is what Christianity is all about. Love cannot be experienced to its fullest without it.

Today I would like to share a second image of a the stove I  shared last post but done in more vibrant colors. Now is the time to practice forgiveness. Life is short so give me a break on this one. If it gets a "Whoa" or "You have to be kidding" that is OK. Now you know the reaction of Jill on this one. She says she likes it. It was fun. I know I know, He has lost it. Have a look and you tell me.

I don't think these colors were available back in the day. If they were there would be a lot of divorces in the works. LOL. Here are the Copic colors:

The "0" blender pen is included because the paper bled on some of the colors for some reason. It was needed to erase the bleed over. More colors were used to help tone down the brighter shades. I think there are more "fun" stoves in the future. Lord helps us all. 😊😉 That is it for this week. Keep safe and remember to always "Love The Details." God bless.

The Unseen

 

The above quote is hard to envision yet we believe in a God and a Savior we cannot physically see. Some would say we hope but it is more than hope that drives us toward Christ. Notice in the picture above what appears to be rings around a pile of rocks in the middle. They are not rings. It is a spiral path winding from the outside into the center, ending at the pile of stones. If we stay on the path through life, not turning left or right we will arrive at the central destination of eternity and eternal life. (John 20:29) "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."  If you are paying attention to what happens in your life you may find that the unseen is very visible, just not in a way you would expect. Prayers answered even years away from the request or possibly immediately. Our unseen God is ever present, ever attentive, ever loving. All praise and glory to Him for being our savior, our steady companion, our keeper. The more our eyes and thoughts are focused on Him the more he is felt in our presence. His absence is experienced only when our focus strays from Him. He has not left us, we have left Him. His word is His presence as much as His physical presence. If you allow it to live in you, you are never alone. 

Today I would like to share an image I have done once again. There are quite a few versions of this image that were done and posted. Unfortunately I have no idea where this image came from. The photo does not fully represent how this image pops off this page. It is something else. 

Copic colors: 

That is it for this post. Have a great week and remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and keep you safe.

Worthy

 

I have heard on several occasions the statement "They are full of themselves". In truth, we are all guilty of it at times. At other times we are not. It is important to know the difference between confidence and arrogance. Confidence and humility can go together but it is difficult to keep the arrogance from entering in. Paul alluded to humility (Acts 20:19) and that gentleness was the sign of it (Ephesians 4:2). Pride is the sign of arrogance (1 Peter 5:5). It is not wrong to to have pride in the workings of the Lord. If it is self pride there is no humility. The word for this post is worthy. It is not something we can earn or are due like wages. Being worthy for our Lord is a part of His grace and not a result of our labor. Paul was confronted and brought low, (Acts 9:3-18) humbled, for his persecution of the followers of Christ. Though broken, his heart was changed and he became one of the most prolific of Christians. He was gentle but firm in his belief that he was saved. By firm I mean unwavering in the path he took to bring the gospel to his world. He was ever humble and gentle. His pride was in the Lord and not himself. To be worthy is to be chosen by the Lord who sees the true heart within. To be worthy is by grace alone.

Today I would like to share an image picked up from Digital Tuesday. It is labeled as daisies but in fact I think is is a bouquet of mums. Daisies have fewer petals. This was a challenge to color.  

I say that because it took a full day to do. Each petal, bud, stem and leaf was done separately. That was to preserve the colors and eliminate streaks or lines the inks would generate. It is a fun but very time consuming coloring project.

There are only a few colors but the detail is what makes this image pop. The Copic Colors are:

W3, Y35, G07, RV34, YG09

That is it. I hope you like it. That is it for this edition of "Love The Details." May God bless and stay safe.

Tomorrow

 

Have you ever thought about the what tomorrow will bring? Do you count on tomorrow for your dreams to be fulfilled? Have you ever looked back and thought, "If only." Yesterday is what could have been. Tomorrow is what might be. Today is. Allowing the moment to slip away in the here and now is a travesty of our life. Unlike Christ we have no inkling what the future holds. It may never come to be a reality. The moment is too precious to allow it to slip away unnoticed. We as Christians need to realize the moment we are in is all we really have. It is OK to dream but we only have the moment we are living in. We should begin our day in thanks to the Lord for His blessings and grace. Dreams can be expressed but they are never guaranteed. The future is not a certainty and the past is not changeable but the present is both. It can be savored, enjoyed or rejected only while it is lived. It is one of the blessings we are graced with. What we do with the moment becomes our past and creates the possibilities of our future. Thank the Lord.

I know I have shared some of my needle work in the past seven years. One of my ultimate favorites is Called "The Prophet". My dear wife searched for this for some time b ut no one had it since it was discontinued. I was very disappointed but she gave it one last try when she was in a little craft store in Allentown, PA. The shop was a jumble of items from front to back, floor to ceiling. When asked if she had it, she went to the back of the store where it would have never been found and found it. It was given to me as a present. It is the prized piece of art work for many reasons not the least of which is that it was an answered prayer and a gift from the heart from my DW.

I looked on the internet for the company that produced this but it is not out there as far as I can see. It is an impressive image. The gold streaks were VERY difficult to do. The thread was a true twisted metal that broke more often than not. This hangs in our downstairs hallway. 

Thanks for stopping by and thank you if you left a comment. They are much appreciated. God bless and remember to "Love The Details."