Fruit Born In Season

I did this one afternoon last week for the daughter of a friend.

Originally, it was just going to be a decorative piece of art for her new condo.

I was thinking, something like a fleur-de lis.

But as I began to work on it, God changed the outcome.

She is a tree.

"A tree?"

Yes.

"Okay," I answered as I started the trunk and worked my way up.

Spend more time on the roots.

"The roots? Isn't that kind of, well, gothic-y?"

The roots are the foundation for the growth of a tree. Her foundation goes deep.

I began painting the root system.

Some of the roots need to fade away. Her past has been redeemed, and those roots no longer tie her to future growth.

"Wow, Lord, You're being really specific. What about the leaves?"

I plucked her from the desert with My own hand. Her leaves will not wither because I have planted her by Living Water. Paint one solitary fruit. She is only now beginning to see what I have in store for her. Her fruit will be born in season, sweetened by the tears she has sown, seasoned by her commitment to be found faithful.

When we gave it to the young lady for her housewarming, I explained what God had shown me as I painted and prayed.

She thanked me and cried.

We both knew it had to be the Lord, because I've met her maybe twice, in passing.

Jesus will go to any length to prove His love for us.

"(She) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever (she) does shall prosper." Psalm 1:3

Finished

Do you like it?

I finished today, and gave it to Emily for our friend, Dottie.

All the writing is part of the poem I mentioned two posts ago.

We leave Wednesday for another two weeks. Yay!

This time, up to Colorado and down through Tulsa, Oklahoma. 'Twill be grand. I shall try and do better at finding WiFi for posting updates as we minister. Thank you all for your prayers and kind thoughts.

Drummer Boy just wandered in here with purple marker covering his arm.

"Ellie drawed on me," he flatly announced.

I'm not sure what to make of it. It has no form or design, just a straight line. This indicates no artistic endeavor on her part, just boredom. Plain and simple. Sometimes I think she takes her liberty as eldest sibling a bit far. But Drummer Boy doesn't seem to mind. Already he has charged out of my room, morphing seamlessly from a little boy into a superhero (defending his own honor) shooting lasers at the big sister who, in all actuality, is his superhero.

He holds no grudges.

Drummer Boy has returned, after locking both doors to outside.

"Today, is a peaceful day. Ellie is locked outside, and can't torture me. Will she knock down the door with dad's jackhammer? Will she kill me when she finds me? I better go outside and see what awaits me there," he monologues, leaving again.

I better go cook dinner before this escalates any further. Food solves everything. Seriously. The prospect of dinner will have my children behaving in a much more civilized manner.

Home For A Whole Week!

Yep, the title says it all!

We're home to do laundry, finish up school, and catch our breath before embarking yet again on another two weeks of singing, loving on folks, and just enjoying the presence of God with other members of His family!

I am so proud of Ellie. Once we realized she had fallen behind in Math due to unforeseen band practices earlier this year, she made up her mind to finish before the second leg of our summer journey. Once home, she proceeded to do eight lessons a day in Math. With each lesson containing at least twenty questions, plus tutorials, the total per day was....well, I'll let you do the Math. I'm tired.

Needless to say, we are working on everything we didn't finish before we left in June, mainly the extra room, which is almost done!!! Yes!!

My dear friend, Emily commissioned me to do a painting for a friend of hers, with excerpts from a poem written for her friend's son, who is autistic. I based the painting around the theme of the poem: God created the stars, one was struggling to keep up with the other stars in the sky, so God found a home where it would be nurtured.

At first, I thought the bird represented how the star came to be home, but the more I worked on it, I saw the bird representing this amazing woman raising her son amid doctors' reports, the day to day frustrations, and incredible obstacles, but finding a way to keep her star in the sky, not allowing him to fall. On her tail feathers hangs a lantern, lighting the way for the rest of us to find inspiration and wisdom from her journey.

I will post a picture of the finished painting soon.