planted

So once again, I decided to pick up my old friend the paintbrush. I really wish I would do this more, but it seems like I have to be in just the right mood and really feeling the inspiration flowing. I began this one with no real plan, other than I wanted to paint a tree. And this is what came of it. I really enjoyed this one. I had fun with all the colors! You can't tell by the photo, but the trunk of the tree is metallic copper and the swirls are pearlized. I also added some jewel embellishment just for fun. I really should take a better pic, but anyways...

There is a scripture that I had in mind while painting, it's found in Jeremiah 17:7,8

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never cease to bear fruit."

Let your trust be in the Lord always

details

Some times it's the small things that blow my mind.  The little details and nooks and crannies of every day life- they make me wonder, and help me to realize how important those little things make the big picture better.  I have a huge appreciation for the small... I joy in noticing things that other people often miss.  Watching a movie, going to a play, shopping in the store, going to someone's home,  I look for the parts, the pictures, the embellishments, the add-ons, the intricacies, the little details that make something truly special. 

Details take time.  In the smallest part of a grand painting, the artist carefully and perhaps fearfully took their brush to add life to their masterpiece.  The sculptor with his great stone and small chisel working away the rough parts to develop the features of their design, knowing the risk of an unsteady hand, and is able to make something that demands a reaction of wow.

God is into details.  Ever walked outside and looked at creation?  Yes the mountains are majestic and the trees reach high in beauty... but look closer.... the painted wings on the butterfly, the way the leaves change in the fall, the unique pattern of a rose's petals, the teeming life in a small puddle, the way the raindrops look in the sun ...

Look at your own life...if God is so concerned about the lillies of the fields and the birds in the air, think about all the details He's put together in you.  Your own unique look, the sound of your voice, the numbers of hairs on your head, your talents, your abilities, your pattern of thinking, the way you walk-it's quite an amazing design, really.  I think we are His favorite masterpiece.  No replicas, duplicates, or mistakes. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  He took time on you.  He takes interest in you.  He knows every detail about you...what a wonderful Creator.  

So take a moment to notice the details, in nature, in others, and in yourself.  Stop.  Smell those roses.  And that's the beans for today...