Tis The Season

Life is a pilgrimage that seems long but in fact is but a second. The quote  above says much about what my posts are about. This is indeed a pilgrimage. The unseen world is where Eden is, where the heavenly beings reside, where Christ, the Holy Spirit and God live.  All too often what we think we see is but a mirage, a lie. (Matthew 8:26 & Matthew 13:13) With Christ, the here and now is not hidden. The Father is in Him and He in the Father, He in us through the Holy Spirit that gives us sight. (Romans 12:2) It is unfortunate that we go through our lives blind to the unseen world. It is veiled with lies, hate, deception and all of the things that take us from a path of love and grace. Love of God and His love for us has no record of wrong. Through Christ we are forgiven. If we fear God our love cannot become perfect for Him. Fear implies punishment. How can we love if we live in fear? Fear and sin is what blinds us, keeping us from the Grace of God through Christ. Repentance and surrendering self to Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit leads to the forgiveness. Unconditional spiritual love, not the physical worldly concept of love,  removes the veil from our eyes. We were created to love not hate. There is enough fear and hate in this existence without our adding to it. Amazing things happen when we surrender to Christ. We are on a journey in this life to be born in the life to come. This is the womb for the growth and awakening of the spirit to life everlasting, to light and the hidden world of Christ, the Holy Spirit and Yahweh. We will be truly born into the hidden world, Eden. 

I would like to share an image that is new. I am not sure where it was acquired Since I have had it for some time. It was a challenge to color. I have several others that I want to do but this is my first attempt at such an image. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is a beautiful face.

This is in fact the second of two tries at coloring this image. The first was too jaundiced in appearance. This is a much better rendition. Shading on this kind of image is a definite challenge. The image was done with Copics as usual. The colors are :

Cloth - R11

Eyes - E31, E77, E27

Skin - RV0000, RV000, E31, E70

Hair - T3, T1

Note the eyes. The eyes have been a problem area in images. To me they are the windows to the life within. Friends that I share the images with have stopped and said "those eyes seem to follow my movements." An image is dead if the eyes are not alive. That is what I strive for. The Details.

If I do not manage to post again before the end of the year, have a Very Merry Christmas and the Best New Year. Remember to always Love The Details. God Bless. 

Some Personal Thoughts

The point of this quote is all that can be said of God. God is Infinite. There is nothing negative about God. 1 John 4:16 says "God is Love". Every day that love is felt. Every day it is the strength of life. There is no failure when love is there to pick us up. All things are possible in that love. It is the cloak around my shoulders that sustains me. In that love there is no fear. Psalm 23:4 "though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil for you are at my side". It is often said of God that He is to be feared. If you fear god it is not possible to love Him at the same time. He loves us at all times and His corrections are not to be feared if we love Him in return. There was a woman outside a grocery store that was waiting for a bus. She was suffering from Proteus syndrome.
She was very self conscious of her appearance as I passed. I looked into her eyes and saw someone that God loved. I smiled at her and nodded. The beauty inside was a light that out-shown the physical appearance. God is love. Jesus was born to let all know the infinite love of God for His children. Infinite love from God sees no ugliness, only beauty. It is our choice to be blind to love as God loves. Look around you and tell me what you see. 

I trust in Jesus to be the love and guide to my journey through this life. I have learned that I am incapable of the journey on my own. Trust in His love is first. Lose sight of that love and you will soon be off the path. That path is unique to each person traveling hand in hand with the Lord. If we compiled each journey for each person it would not be possible to finish reading the finished journal. That is how it is  with God. When we are called home an eternity is not enough to learn all there is to know about Him. That is why He is infinite. This blog can never be kept long enough to list all there is to know about experiencing Jesus and God the father. With that, I will shift to the image for this post.

This image is nowhere near what the in person image is like. That does it for this post. I will try to post one more time before the end of the month. Until then, Remember to always Love The Details and God bless.

There is More

My last posts were very much this message. There is often an  unexpected side effect of this message. When the heart and spirit are sensitive to that which we cannot see and touch it can be seen and touched. Contradiction? Not really! What we see in the real world is often not what is real but a facsimile of the real. Love is often seen as the person, place or thing in our visual perception. What lives within that visual perception is often very different than the visual perception. Our attraction to someone is often a physical attraction. In time that becomes less important. The personality, the heart and soul, begin to come through. Physical attributes become less important. What is important is the person we are on the inside. Each of us attract or repulse others because of how we look but, if we take the time to see the person within it could be a different outcome. The physical attraction is not what will make a relationship last. The divorce rate is a good example of that. There are no guarantees that a long courtship will show you the person's inner self. Living with someone is much different than dating someone. Why this angle on relationships? The spiritual world is much like dating and marriage. There is little to see, touch or taste that will give a clue to its existence. That does not mean it doesn't exist. The gospels liken a relationship with Jesus as a husband and His bride. We, as part of the church, are His bride. Would you say the bride and groom are connected through their hearts? I would certainly hope so. Would it be correct to say that much of a marriage is based in trust and faith? Yes. Having faith in someone at all times, under all circumstances, seen and unseen, promotes a much deeper and steadfast trust that anchors a love that is hard to shake. There is usually nothing visible to anchor to but belief. Scripture says that belief is the only way to grace and by grace alone we are saved. Living in the realization of a spiritual world will bring awareness of things others are unaware of. Take the time to read scripture with an awareness of those times when the unseen world is actually talked about and in some cases even seen. Scripture often has insights relevant in this reality. 

Here is a revisit of an image from several years ago. This is a new version that got many great comments. It is now framed and will soon hang in a prominent spot.

Many thanks to HELMI SIROLA of Imagine And Do in Finland. Your fantastic art has been a blessing in more ways than you know. Mina has taken a position at a college in Finland and it is unknown if the images are available.

Next month,, another revisited image. Remember to Always Love The Details.

    

Relationships Continued

A relationship in the Spirit is a struggle in itself. Why? The world we live in has pretty much come to the point of denying that the spiritual world exists in any form we can experience. In short, to the western mind, it does not exist. Our hearts and spirits tell us it does but our minds and sensibilities say it does not exist. The scary rise of interest in heart stopping hero and monster movies as well as ghost "adventure" TV shows attests to the fact we seek it to be real. In many cases a dangerous game. The bible is rife with examples of contact with Angels and spirits. As I shared when I began this series of posts, Eden is a prime example of the hidden world of God. There are many examples of Spiritual beings coming to prophets and individuals, not to mention animals. Stories? Fictitious or examples of the drawing back of the veil of the unseen world? Jesus rose from the dead into everlasting life. Is He out there somewhere or is He born again, into the unseen realm? How are we to have a relationship with Jesus let alone God if the unseen world does not exist?  If it does not exist we are lost. The Holy Spirit of God is of that realm. Belief in Christ is a stretch without believing the unseen world is real. Our love of our maker and His son cannot be fully realized if we do not believe in the realm from which they come. How does this impact a relationship? If you are unable to touch someone you love in this world you soon move on to someone or something you can touch. The lack of personal, up close, eye to eye contact is what this world is about. The problem is in how the world dulls our perception of the unseen world. I walk when the weather permits, sometimes as much as 6 or more miles. I often thank Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Yahweh for the day and ask them to walk with me. Often their presence is felt while walking. It isn't a full on visual experience but a definite presence. Then again I believe in the hidden world. If you believe in Christ, in God or the Holy Spirit then you must believe in the unseen world. There is still more which I will touch on in the next post.

This summer has been brutal. The office area that my computer is in has been unbearable since it has NO air conditioning. Temperature have been in excess of 100 deg. F on a regular basis in here. There have been inquiries about my well being so it was decided that I would at least spend some time in the early morning to at least get a post in. This post is being done on a Linux machine that does not have access to my graphics at present. That will be fixed before long. For now I will say thank you for the kind thoughts. Remember to always Love The Details. Leave a comment if you wish to reach me. I will be happy to get back to you. Sales or solicitations will not be responded to but locked out. God Bless and keep you. 

Relationships

Living the life in the Spirit is very much a relationship. Like any relationship but between the Holy Spirit and the spirit within us. It is every bit as real as the relationships we develop in this world. It has many of the same requirements and just as many difficulties. The main requirement is love. Spiritual love is not like love we know in the flesh. It has the power to bring to life joy and happiness unlike anything this world has to offer. What we experience in the spirit is more poignant in every way. It is much like finding love for the first time but heightened and focused to a fine point. Sometimes it is difficult to function in this world and maintain contact with the spirit of Christ. As with any relationship it must be renewed and reaffirmed. As with relationships in the world it can become stagnant if all we look for is to be the recipient and give nothing. You would soon find yourself alone like you have never experienced before. That alone feeling is not because Christ left you but you turned from Him. Walking hand in hand with the Spirit of Christ means you have to be part of the effort as well. We must go in the same direction hand in hand. Problems and difficulties often become a thing of joy because they are being handled together, never alone. We learn patience and understanding from all we go through. The hurried life only yields confusion and worry. Answers in life are sometimes not immediate as we are want to expect. Relationships are grown into over time, often becoming the unexpected surprises we thought were beyond our reach. Relationships are deeper, have more meaning and substance than that which most know in life. The inward power of the soul is the spirit of Christ within. Be still and ask for His hand and guidance. Be patient. He will answer.

  In recent months I have been searching for answers to happenings in my life. There have been many days that inspiration was just not there for something to share. My artist friend in Finland sent me the original art packs that I so loved. There are two images that were especially beautiful. I dove right in and colored both images, one of them twice. The one that captured my heart will be shared this week. Sorry the site no longer has any of her art for sale. She suffered carpal tunnel in both wrists and no longer offers any images. If you wish to check it out anyway it is Imaginanddo.com.

I apologize for images are not a good representation of the actual work but they are close enough. An artist friend saw them two nights ago and was impressed. I hope you like the results.

   The image is not as impressive here as it is in person. It is what it is. That will do it for the time being. I will try to post sooner and share the other two images. Thank you so much for stopping by. Remember to always Love The Details in all you do. God Bless.

Not without Srtuggle

    Here is the key to walking in the Spirit of God. It does not often come easily but it is necessary. Jesus told the rich man to sell all he owned and come follow Him. (LK 18:22, MT 19:21. MK 10:21) What this means is that we must be willing to leave all material things behind to have the spiritual life. It also means that when the things of this life become more important than the spiritual walk, the spiritual walk is all but impossible. The church martyrs knew this in the extreme. They gave their life for the walk in the Spirit. (Except in rare cases this is not the norm so do not balk at walking in the Spirit.) This does not mean there will be no trials or difficulties. We are not accustomed to the spiritual life. It is hard to give up those things we grew up thinking were important. After all they are things that can be seen, held, touched, tasted and generally are material. They are a distraction that, if coveted, will prevent us from experiencing the joy that a walk with Christ will bring. Again, material things are required for our material bodies to survive in this world. Much of this world would distract us if possible from being spiritual with sensual pleasures or material wealth. Be assured this will bring pain and suffering in the end.
    At this point it sounds like all of the fun will be taken out of our lives doesn't it? That is not so. Life goes on regardless. much of the joy and happiness happens while walking in the Spirit. The difference is in the vision of what life really is. This life is not a game but a preparation for the life to come. Sure we can have fun but the focus must be always on our walk. Like a child in it's mothers womb, any deviation from the growth process can be disastrous. It is no different here. What is different is that we are the ones in control of our end result even if we are not in control of our physical lives. A spiritual walk is not dependent on our physical being but our spiritual well being. 

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.