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.