Resurrection

 Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.

Ravi Zacharias  From Brainy Quotes

1 Corinthians 15:35-49 Every so often we come back to this subject. It is important to be reminded that we are on this earth to get ready for our birth and resurrection when this earthly body wears out. It is good to be reminded that just as a child grows and develops in the womb we are in a kind of womb in this life. How we develop and grow not just physically but spiritually is important for the preparation of our eternal birth. (1 Corinthians  15:35-37 "35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.)(1 Corinthians 15:42-49  42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.)

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (Washington, DC: National Council of Churches of Christ, 1993)

We were created from dust and our earthly body will return to dust so that we can be born of eternal spirit. Scripture is very clear about how we are reborn, raised from the dead.   

Today I am sharing two birthday cards, one from Jill's step sister and one from my DW. First, the one from my siter-in-law. 

This is special because for many years I never got any cards from her. This is the second or third card from her.

Next the card from DW. It is special this year.

There are no words to tell the bond we share. The card will have to do.

That is all for this post. May the good Lord bless you and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love the Details."

Psalm 90:10-13

 

The subject today is from The Wisdom of Solomon. It struck a chord with me two days before my birthday as did the quote from Socrates. The reading stopped me in thought for a few seconds. This is what it says (from the New Jerusalem Bible); " 10 The span of our life is seventy years— eighty for those who are strong— but their whole extent is anxiety and trouble, they are over in a moment and we are gone. 11 Who feels the power of your anger, or who that fears you, your wrath? 12 Teach us to count up the days that are ours,   and we shall come to the heart of wisdom." I soon turn eighty! I never expected to live past 50. The power of the word of God through the Holy Spirit is in truth a wondrous thing. How many of you count up the days that are yours? In a recent post I wrote about seeing each day as a miracle, in another about praying for wisdom and still another about how those who think themselves wise are fooling themselves. Socrates has it right. We have it wrong. Verse 11 is speaking of God. By taking note of each moment of our lives, counting up the days, we give homage to the Lord our God for the gift of life we are blessed with. All things are turned to good for the glory of the Lord for those who love Him.

 

The card I am sharing was posted on the 30th of August by my DW for our wedding anniversary of 59 years. It is a really neat card.

She picked what seems the right era for our ages. 😁 She is definitely the love of my life. 😍 

This is a short post by design. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Spiritual Sight

 

There is power in this Brainy Quote. It is how I often approach the pain I see in this world and in my life. If we really want to we can focus on the pain in our lives and in the world around us as the press is want to do or we can look at all of the good and beauty that is left untouched and often unnoticed. I know all of us face unpleasant realities every day. At those times, how often do you stop to notice all of the beauty that is left behind? Do you ever acknowledge the the fragile beauty of God's creation or of the beautiful souls that are all around you? Do you ever stop your daily routine to breathe in the wonder of your surroundings? Anne Frank was in a position unimaginable for most of us and yet this is how she saw things. This is an example of what it means to be spiritual. This is what it means to be in touch with the Spirit of God. This is a place our Spirit meets Jesus and finds peace. It is a place that is just for you and Him. It is a place where the intimate touch of God has the power to lift, to inspire, to give peace and to talk to us of His love for us. It does not matter what our situation might be or the pain we are in at the time. It is hard to imagine the emotions she felt when these thoughts were penned. It was a desperate time of  trials and loss. It was a time when it felt hopeless. It is at these times that Jesus is there for us if we allow Him to enter in. In Him our hope is realized.

This image is from Free Vintage Digi Stamps. This is a very large site and I have had this image for some time so have fun. I did this for DW (Jill) so she could get her Christmas card stock pile up. 

This Copics used are;

That is it for this week. May the good Lord Bless and keep you well and safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Negatives

 

I have been feeling depressed lately due to some events in my life. It was a struggle to find a Brainy Quote that fit this post subject. Depressions are almost always the result of negatives in our lives. For those who grew up with an abundance of negatives in their lives it can be a struggle to deal with them or maybe not. For me it can sometimes be a struggle. I know I will come through this because the strength I feel is not my own but that of faith. These posts are an attempt to help others see that life is what it is and we must live through our negatives and turn them to positives. How do you do that? Take my last post as a hint. Every day is a miracle in its entirety. Next month I turn 80. This puts me in a live moment by moment mode. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. To miss today's miracles would be to possibly lose them forever. To love or care for someone or not tell them would be risking them never knowing. My DW and I tell each other every day "I love you." The moment, Good or bad, is a reminder of the fragile nature of our existence on this earth and in this life. We are given the choice to hold our Lord's hand and walk with Him or to deny His existence. How sad that so many think the Lord does not exist and that there is nothing to look forward to when our life ends here on earth. My heart aches for those struggling today and those who feel there is no hope. (Matthew 11:28  "Come to me all who labor and are over burdened and I will give you rest") The rest that is promised does not mean we will not have to live our lives in the moment. It does mean we are assured of rest at the end of our struggle. It is a promise of what follows our life on this earth.

 Today's image is from Coloring for Adults. I was unable to find this image again but there are TONS of images to keep you busily searching for hours with almost any subject you want.

The Copic colors are:

Very simple. Love this pallet once in awhile. Still technical yet simple enough that it can be quickly done.

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you well and safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Your comments are much appreciated. They are a blessing to me.

Miracles

 

It is hard to live this way today as I am sure it was in Jesus's day. The Romans were not known as a kind and loving people. If anything the were cruel and sadistic rulers. Much of the world today is anything but forgiving. There is a lot of hatred, jealousy, deceit and avarice the world over, including this country. Many are the individuals whom Jesus says see but are blind, hear but are deaf. There are many references to these individuals in scripture. One of the shortcomings of these individuals is the inability to see the miracle of existence. If you appreciate that, then all of existence is a miracle. If you look around and everything is a miracle that meets your gaze you understand. From the smallest particle of dust to the largest reaches of the universe to that which is unseen is all a miracle. It doesn't matter if science explains it or not. It is still a miracle. The wonder begins with our coming into being and seeing, hearing and touching the miracle of being here and alive. To not feel this way is to miss so much of the wonder of our lives.

The image today is from Clearlyvintage.com, a free vintage site. (This site is not accessible. It is up for sale) It is titled "Christmas-tree Lane". This took some time to do. In fact I did it twice because the first time it was a mess when it was almost finished. Getting the snow to sparkle was a problem. I used a water color with fine glitter in it but it was opaque when it dried. I switched to Wink of Stella solve that.

Since the site is currently not accessible I am including this original download for anyone who wishes to try coloring it. You will find that it is not even in all dimensions so I left a slight border around it.

This is my finished version of the scene. I think it turned out fairly well. The Wink of Stella clear pen was perfect for getting the sparkle to show and still see the colors underneath to show through. 
 The Copic Colors are;

The Wink of Stella pen is in the upper left corner.

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details." Commenting is still open to all who visit.

Luke 12:34

 

Luke 12:34 "For wherever your heart is, that is where your treasure is as well." What is your treasure? Where is your heart? There are many answers to that question but only one matters. Go back to Luke 12:12-34 and read it. The important things in life are not things that can be stored away in earthen vessels for another time. Earthen vessels are not forever. Your body is an earthen vessel  and will return to the earth it was created from. All things of this earth and this universe will not last forever. Things that can be touched, seen, sensed are not permanent but transient. Pleasures of this world are fleeting at best. The treasures we store up are those our creator sees as worthy. None of those things are stored here on earth but in heaven. 

This image was a challenge to do because of the fine detail and the fact that it is a garden scene with LOTS of plants and flowers. Couple that with the fact the image is a 4"x6" print and eye strain becomes a reality. This was 2 days in the making and 48 colors used. I hope you like it.

The Copic colors are:

I know, that's a lot of colors. A flower garden without lots of color is not a garden. The array of fragrances in a garden like this would be mind blowing not to mention the amount of color. It is somewhat like a botanical garden. 

That is it for this week. May our good Lord watch over you and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Dry Bones Brought back to life

 

What does this bible reading say to you? Why does God ask Ezekiel if the bones can live?  God is testing Ezekiel's faith. (Ezekiel 37:1-3) The WORD of YahWeh is the word of life. Just because something has no life does not mean it cannot be brought back to life. This has a meaning far greater than just bringing life to dry bones. (Ezekiel 37:4-11) Not just the bones were given life, but the living matter that clothed them were restored to them and life breathed back into them creating a massive army. (Ezekiel 37:12-14) By doing this YahWeh declared His word and will was supreme for all to see. This example extends to more than just the valley of bones. How many bones are in your valleys? How many things in your life have you thought dead and not revivable. Some may be just that because they are not right for you but some may be because you were not ready for them. Hope is not abandonment of dreams and dreams are not necessarily dead because they were not granted. The statement in verse 11 speaks of this lost hope. YahWeh answers this in verses 12-14. Jesus speaks of this when 'He says ask and you will receive knock and the door will be opened.' (Luke 11:9, Matthew 7:7) Do not set the rules or conditions in your asking and you are more likely to see the perfect granting of your prayer that far exceeds what you expect. What is dead YahWeh can breathe life into no matter what it is. It only takes faith and a belief in our Lord. Ezekiel believed and spoke what the Lord told him to speak. The bones not only rose up but were clothed in flesh and blood. The breath of life was restored to them when His words were spoken by a mere man per His command. Is it possible that this can happen? I would rather ask how much more is possible when we obey the wishes of our Lord. Even in this day miracles are granted the faithful. Healings and wondrous things are still happening every day. We do not always take note of them but they are happening just the same.

Sorry I am late in getting this post out. It has been crazy here with everything slowed down by the heat and humidity. Here is another door project from my huge store of images. Again, no idea where it came from but it was a challenge to color.

The Copic colors are;

There were a few more colors than you would think to make this image pop. this was several hours worth of work. Turned out nice.

That will do it for this week. May the good Lord keep you well and protect you in the coming week. Remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless. (If you leave a comment, I would love to return the kindness but Since Blogger insists on messing with the programming I will not be able to do so unless you change your comment section from embedded to floating in your setup.)

Time Flies

If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

     It would seem time flies with greater speed as we age. It also seems to slow everything else to the point where we get less done compared to what we once accomplished. I know my days are a mess when tasks are scheduled and are not completed. “But I used to get that done and then some! Now I can’t even finish it.” Sound familiar? What I am finding is that no matter how hard I try it makes little difference in the outcome. A sad result is it has the effect of distracting us from doing those things that are important to our spiritual well being. If this does not cause you to reconsider priorities in your life, it should. How can we do spiritual things with all of the ‘important’ things needed to get done in each day? Simple! Start off each day by thanking the Lord you even have the day to live and enjoy. Give all of it to Him to guide and teach us how we should live it, what is important, what is not important and the peace of mind and spirit when we finish what we can as He guides us. Set aside time during the day for personal prayer. I personally talk to the Lord all day long. If time during the day is not possible then make sure a few minutes at the end of the day are reserved for prayer. The more you make Him a part of your personal life and an intricate part of your everyday life the more automatic everything mentioned will be, not something you will even think about but is just done without hesitation. The majority of my life has been on again, off again. The constant has been the daily talking with the Lord. Everything is dependent on Jesus, Yahweh, and The Holy Spirit. Our lives are in his hands. Communication with Him is a blessing not a forced action. Much of the experiences in our lives have more meaning when He is a part of the life we live. What would not make sense or would be seen as negative becomes positive. I don’t know about you but I sure need more positives in this crazy world we live in. 

The image I am sharing today has been gathering computer dust for some time. I don't know where it came from but I love doors, windows and gardens, so, here it is.

The Copic colors are:

Have a great day and may the good Lord keep you safe and well. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Matthew 13:10-17

(Isaiah 6:9-10) "Go, and say to this people, “Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look, but never perceive!”  Make this people’s heart coarse, make their ears dull, shut their eyes tight, or they will use their eyes to see, use their ears to hear, use their heart to understand, and change their ways and be healed.

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985), Is 6:9–10.

It the course we take through life that provides us with all we need to survive, to thrive. That course has no direction that will bring us to eternal life if we are not being guided by Christ. Despite what we might think it is by every word of the Lord that is spoken in the good book that we are to live. Not one syllable of that word is to be changed because it is not what we want or believe. If there is no healing in our lives it is not because there is no God, it is because Isaiah's words are still true in your life. If what you see and want in your life it is not what the Lord wants you will never see it come to be. Having total control, to be able to do what you want, without regard and without consequence will only lead to ruin. Isaiah's prophecy has again come true for you. It is certainly evident in those who want to destroy lives that have not yet had the chance to have the dreams that we have had. Life is precious and has no price. Freedom has its price. It is not free. Many have given their lives for that freedom including Christ. Hear His words and give yourself to Him that you might hear, understand and perceive. 

There is no image this week. This was a week of turmoil in many ways. I had stress trying to get my prescription medications refilled with only 2 days left on the old one. We were accidentally exposed to Covid by a family member who just found out they had it. It has been a week now and we still have no symptoms. We home tested at the time and it was negative. We will test again today or tomorrow to see if we are still negative. The heat wave here (95 to 110 degrees in the sun with humidity high) has kept us indoors. We only have air conditioning in our living room and bedroom. Jill's brother slept here on Sunday since he has no air conditioning. Sleep at night is difficult with all that is happening here and around the world with friends and family. 

Jill and I pray for the health and safety of all of you. May God bless and keep everyone well and safe. Until next post, remember to always "Love The Details."

, Psalm 107:2-9 (YHWY's Guiding hand for a people)

https://faithlife.com

Our savior is the guiding hand of those who believe in Him. He is the life and the resurrection for our nation. There is nothing but darkness and wandering for those who turn away from His guiding hand. The nations that followed His word and believed in Him were were strong and united. The Lord provided for them, fought for them, guided them in all they did. His people are those who know He is real and follow Him. He reveals Himself and through Him our father in heaven. We have not not been fortunate enough to have been there when He walked the earth with us but that does not mean we are unable to know HIm. Our walk with Him has not survived for over 2000 years because He is dead. Our Lord and savior has been providing for us, healing us (Yes, even with miracles), correcting us, guiding us, blessing us, calling us to His side for those 2000 years. Now as then the world is in turmoil, in disarray. We need to be aware and not silent about the state of things. It seems people want to do whatever they want whenever they want no matter if it is morally correct or not. A sad statement for the world view of things in this day and age. Self destruction is the path the world is on. 

This is a sheet from Imagine and Do. It was colored with Copic Pens.

Pray for the world and may the good Lord protect you and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."