It Is Happening

It is happening. There are active cells all over the world. Artists, musicians, writers, thespians, even prominent sports figures are joining the movement, sharing the light. This is the light that will overcome the darkness. People are searching for it and those who have found it are openly sharing with those still in the dark. The light is being passed from group to group.....from individual to individual. It calls to people from all walks of life...of all nationalities....regardless of gender, position or religion. It is happening.

There is a movement...slowly growing....always growing. A movement which slowly makes us aware and pulls us in because that’s where we want to be. It is happening both within and without.

We continue to find others who believe, who shine their light and we unite. We are being sewn together with an invisible golden thread and as we grow in numbers, we grow ever stronger. Eventually it will happen where all the groups and individuals will come together as one and we, and our world, will be saved..

We all carry that light and it’s our responsibility....our obligation... to share and let it shine, lighting the way for others. One day the light will be so bright no one will be able to look at its brilliance.

It is happening and I invite you to see and be a part of it.

New Painting.....

See

My Direction

It’s been a while sine I’ve written a Blog. I could say it’s because I’ve been busy painting, but that wouldn’t be the whole truth. The real reason is, so much has been happening with me I barely have time to write a little about it before something else comes along...just as exciting and just as interesting. So... I'm going to make an effort here and try to let you in on some of it.

The other day I shared with a friend, "I feel like I’m being led by the Holy Spirit."

She smiled knowingly, "It’s wonderful, isn’t it?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "There is so much joy!"

When I sat and reflected on our conversation, I was reminded of something I’d said in our prayer meeting, "Jesus doesn’t ask us to worship Him. He asks us to follow Him....to follow His teachings and example...’Come, follow Me’."

"Ahhh," I thought as I reflected on my words and the changes within myself. "It all comes together. This is what ‘contemplation in action’ means."

What joy there is in following the Holy Spirit! What joy! Oh, believe me I have my battles. If the negatives insinuate themselves and I find myself struggling, I have to go into the silence and discern what is from God and what isn’t. Discerning is sometimes difficult.

There are times I’m overwhelmed
with things I’d like to say
and when I search for truth,
my thoughts get in the way.

Attached to one another,
there never seems an end
to where those thoughts will take me.
Confusion sets in then.

I try to set those thoughts aside,
close my mind to them
so I may hear the truth
speak from deep within.

It’s there, and only there
I’ll find my true direction,
where all I see and hear
calls me to reflection.
 

What I Love about Painting

I am reposting this because I realized I hadn't shown you the finished painting..... In case you were curious.

Every painting has a story.  I am either responding to something I see or expressing something I feel, or both.  No matter what the source, the painting is a part of myself... my responses, my reactions.  I have a friend who, knowing this, always asks, “What’s the story behind this one?”  And that question always prompts me to ask myself, “Why did I paint it?  “What’s the real story?”  Naturally those questions lead to introspection and I come to realize the painting as a visual poem... a window into my soul... a window through which I allow others to see. 

Sometimes I feel like I can step back and look at myself from the outside.  As a painting develops I can look at it and say, “Wow, look at that.  I didn’t expect that to happen.” and continue on in a different direction from the one I started.  I have to be honest and say I truly enjoy those moments.  The last painting I did pretty much developed like that.  I had one theme in mind when I started and it morphed into something similar but different.  It’s as if the painting leads me.

Tonight I’ll be participating in a communal painting session.  It consists of a small group of artists... each painting our own thing.  I love the creative atmosphere and we each take the time to comment and encourage one another.  I can feel the creative energy in that room and marvel how it feeds the energy within myself.

I wondered what I might be painting when I ran across a photograph taped to a hidden canvas.  It was something that interested me enough to save.  I thought the rain and the wetness of it might be challenging and I had full intention of painting it one day.  I figured this might be the day so put both the canvas and the photograph with my painting supplies to take with me.  

Those were my thoughts as I gathered everything together last night in preparation.  This morning, however, I had to smile at myself.  I’m smiling because I know I won’t be painting the actual picture, but how I feel about it.  Then again, the final painting may turn out not to resemble the photo at all.

This is the joy and wonder I experience in painting....the not really knowing but being open to whatever might happen.... allowing the inside to come out.... going with the flow of wherever it might lead me.  This is what I truly love about painting! 

I look forward to tonight’s session with joy and expectation.  Can’t wait to see what happens!  More to come......

                                                             Titled: A Foggy Day

A Reflection

The other day when with a few friends, the Dalai Lama came up in conversation.  One exclaimed, "I love the Dalai Lama!"

"I do too!" I responded. Later, I wondered why I had responded so readily and decided to do a little studying and research. I didn’t know much about the Dalai Lama other than he is a simple man and has a way of stating indisputable truths in very few words. One of my favorites is, when asked what his religion was, he smiled and answered, "My religion is kindness."  Naturally, such a statement piqued my curiosity and I decided to learn more about Buddhism.

 I’ve since read a few books on the subject and it seems to me it doesn’t matter whether we follow the paths of the Saints or the Buddha. They lead to the same place. Though we live in, and move through, the ‘outwardness’ of the world, our journey is an inward one. It is within ourselves we will find the God we seek and in our recognizing Him there, we will recognize Him everywhere.

When we grow in love...the love of God and the love of ourselves.... we can’t help but be a channel of that love for others.

I read and study the ways of the Saints, the paths of the Buddha, the teachings of Jesus, the understandings of the Apostles, and in the end they all lead to the same place...the love within myself.

Not that I should stop reading and studying because the mind must be fed and come to a conscious understanding of what the heart already knows.... that the path we’re called to is love.

Love is the foundation, the root, from which all joy, compassion, peace and humility grows. Without love we are nothing.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1Corinthians 13:13)

　

The Bend in the Road

There is always a hunger, an insatiable desire to come to know, more intimately, the God within. In my continuing efforts to satisfy that hunger, the road I travel has been full of awesome discoveries...discoveries leading me ever closer to my God.

My road is leading me in a different direction now... one familiar, yet unfamiliar. I find myself wishing I had a traveling companion... one with whom to share all that awaits. But it is enough to know my God is always with me and we travel together.

Others, I know, I will meet along the way and as it is with all travelers who meet, we will share a few bits for a little while and then continue... each on our own way. I gladly share my journey with those who wish to know and they may be interested enough to walk with me awhile, but my road is a solitary one.

So I stand here at this bend in the road, suddenly aware of, and thankful for, all that’s brought me to this place. My normal fear of the unknown has been replaced with an expectancy bordering on excitement... the kind of excitement that rides on the surety that, in following round this bend, great and awesome discoveries await me as I walk with the One I love.

Painting is Prayer

John Keats said, "Writing is prayer."  I say. "Painting is prayer."

Not all painting is prayer. I wouldn’t consider the paintings my students copy and try to reproduce from photographs as prayer. These paintings are the vehicles for learning the mechanics of painting.....the proper use of brushes and knowing which brush to use; the learning about and how to mix colors; the learning of perspective, proportion and composition. In my classes I try to teach the ‘how’ of painting but most importantly, I try to teach them how to "see" and to illustrate their seeing with paint.

As with anything else, once the mechanics are learned, the way is paved for creativity. It’s within this creative aspect painting becomes prayer. Some might call it simply "inspiration" and that’s a part, but it’s more than that.

Recently, one of my students sat down to paint, turned to me and said, "I don’t know what to paint."

I smiled. "Why not start by putting colors you like on the canvas and see where it takes you?" Purposely then, I walked away but continued to watch as she became ever more engrossed in her painting. Only once did I ask, "Do you know what you’re painting?"

"I think it’s a forest fire," she responded as if seeing it for the first time. I nodded my head, offered a mechanical suggestion, and moved on.

I knew she was experiencing the contemplativeness of painting.....that time when she was so in touch with her own spirit she could express it in paint....the one time she wasn’t fearful of the canvas or the paint...the one time she just decided to dive in and see what happened....the one time she experienced the freedom of expression.

The finished product isn’t necessarily just a work of art, but a work of prayer.

 I’ve told my students that my purpose is not only to teach them how to paint, but to encourage them to paint ‘from the inside’. It means being in touch with the creative spirit. It means being in touch with, and expressing, the God within.

When that happens.... Painting is prayer. It is the result of a direct communion with God.

I Am Offended

I am an American and I am offended. I’m offended that my country’s history and my personal heritage is under siege. I am offended that my country’s flag isn’t respected by all who live under its protection and freedom. I am offended that our National Anthem isn’t treated with the pride and respect it deserves. I am offended by those elected to public office who have no respect for those who voted for them. I am offended by greed, by graft, by the raping of our earth for profit’s sake. I am offended by those who have no concern for their fellow human beings. I am offended because the "law" has become more important than the people it’s supposed to protect. I am offended by those who wish to destroy flags, remove statues and burn books. I am offended because it smacks of Communism and I don’t live in a Communist country. Do I?

Yes, I am offended! Aren’t you?

I am a Christian and I am offended. I’m offended by your taking my God and trying to make Him disappear... The same God our founding fathers came to this country to worship freely, without persecution... The same God we and our military look to in time of struggle and sorrow for strength and healing... The same God you’ve taken away from our flag and out of our schools. I am offended that those in our military, regardless of belief, aren’t allowed to pray or witness to their faith without punitive repercussions.

I am offended at the removing of monuments attesting to our Judo-Christian heritage. What’s next? Will all the government buildings having reference to God and His Word also be defaced? I am offended by the so-called Christians who don’t have the backbone to defend their faith.

I am offended!  Aren’t you?