For God So Loved...

For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
~~~~~~~~~~~~

The making of this banner, 4' X 7':

The last series of banners I have worked on for our church deals with Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. I researched symbols and ideas, chose colors and textures of fabrics, drew out designs, and most importantly, prayed for inspiration. I would like to share the story of this particular banner as it progressed past what I had in mind for it to be 'finished.'

I began with the concept of a slanted cross to signify the position of Jesus, beaten and bleeding, carrying it to Golgotha. I added the tan earth, and a bright blue stripe above it (in my mind to add a color punch to divide the two bland colors of earth and light blue sky.) I used a flannel-backed gold foil tablecloth I found at a garage sale to make the letters and nails.

As the banner progressed I contemplated adding drops of blood falling from the areas of nailed flesh. Well, that would not be pretty, I thought. I fought against it as being too gruesome, but "IT WAS!, HE WAS BEATEN NEARLY TO DEATH BEFORE CARRYING HIS OWN CROSS TO DIE FOR YOU!" was what I heard in the spirit. "IT WASN'T PRETTY, BUT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!"So be it; the drops of blood needed to be there to tell the whole story.

As I progressed to the crown of thorns I was going to draw it on in brown or grey paint to show the mundane vines and thorns. The soldiers had made the crown to mock him as 'king of the Jews,' and struck him in the face. The truth, however, is that Jesus is KING OF EVERYTHING, and this cross needed to be gold on this banner to signify his true identity.

As I moved the banner in my impatience, some of the still wet liner paint got onto a portion of the sky. Now I had a dilemma of how to fix the booboo! I went back to bed and asked God to give me inspiration as I slept. When I got back to work on the banner I added more earth above the blue strip. Then it struck me what 'the rest of the story' was as I stepped back to look at the whole picture: the blue strip became the symbol of the earth shaking and rocks splitting as Jesus gave up his spirit. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

This tearing of the curtain is Christ's making it possible for believers to go directly into God's presence. I also then saw the bright blue color as the symbol of Christ being the bridge over the river; and he, himself, being the river of life; conquering death through his work on the cross.

Making this banner blessed me so much. I got to experience God's rescue as I messed up the process, and let him show me the path of fixing and finishing it to tell the story with some added levels of understanding I did not have when the process began.

For God so loved the world...AMAZING LOVE!

THANK YOU LORD!!!

Beside Still Waters

I was out going to garage sales this morning looking for banner fabric and picture frames. One of my stops was at the far end of a development that ended in an open area along a creek. I got out to look for dragonflies and see what I might see, although it looked at first glance as though there were not any wildflowers along the creek. As I walked the edge of the creek I began to look closer and found several wonderful small wildflowers. I had not seen them at first because I was looking at the big picture of the creek.

As I walked back from my discovery of several small beauties, I looked up to see the wonderful panorama in front of me. I had gotten preoccupied with the amazing tiny blossoms and had lost the big picture. Isn't it funny how we can get focused on the small things and lose sight of the big picture? Just as importantly, sometimes our focus on the big picture often tosses away the beauty of the little things on the way.

When I looked at the panorama of the creek, grasses, and Tx. field in front of me I was filled with peace. Peace beside still waters does not mean lifeless; on the contrary, it means full of the peace that passes all understanding. It flows from living water; full of life. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled." In the big pictures and the little ones He is my source of peace.

Bee Blossom

I passed this wonderful patch of bee blossom as I was on my kids' house. I wasn't quite sure that it was gaura because it was so red. Usually the elegant, lacy spikes are very light pink. Before they bloom they look a little like asparagus. They appear so fancy that I imagine a tiny Victorian tea cup would be right at home in their midst. Per its name, it attracts bees; however it had another visitor on this day.

I get fired with enthusiasm when I find a new color of wildflower or an undiscovered place full of blossoms to investigate. The time spent in the 'wild' gardens alone drenches my spirit and fires up my heart strings to play praises to God.

Beautiful Faces

My day was filled with beautiful faces. Some were the faces of flowers turning towards the sun. Some were of stuffed toys that were sitting a spell to get out of the blustery spring wind. The scent of the bluebonnets enticed them to spend more time just enjoying the beauty of the blooming field. The best beautiful face was of a babe new to the Earth, not yet two months. I got to spend the day taking care of her.

These beautiful faces are all but shadows to the thrill of seeing my Lord, Jesus, face to face some day. The flowers will fade, the stitched toys will soil and deteriorate, and we all will pass away as grass. Yet, eternity awaits us. He has given me such beauty to behold in my life, and I am blessed to be able to seek His beauty in His creation now in this earthly body. Sometimes I can hardly contain the joy. I seek His face, and to dwell in His place. As the song says, "I can only imagine!"

Color me Joyful

My artistic eye is always drawn to color, so when wildflower season is upon us in Texas I am quite giddy. I know, before close enough to identify the flower by size, shape, or smell, I can tell you what it is by its color. The periwinkle/blue/turquoise jewel tone colors are my personal faves in my own wardrobe, but I look horrible in bright yellow or orange. However, show me a field dressed in giant yellow sunflowers or thick with Indian paintbrush and I nearly fall to my knees with excitement as my heart praises my creator. I am crazy about whatever color God splashes onto the earth in flowers.

There is much to be thankful for each day. Today I am so grateful for all the beautiful colors God put into His creation; especially the joyful palettes of wildflowers!