DETAILS

Details! One of the things that I enjoy about drawing is the detail work. My favorite tool is the micron pen which comes in several sizes. The finest tips allow me to do the tiniest details with precision. The larger tips allow me to fill in larger areas more quickly. Sometimes a paintbrush dipped in a bottle of black ink is helpful, too.

The sketch on the left is of a Nantucket gateway. I did the sketch several years ago as I dreamed about visiting Nantucket. A number of my ancestors once settled on Nantucket Island. You can read about them in history books. My great- aunt Sue was fascinated with the island and our genealogy and eventually bought a couple of properties in Nantucket. Her fascination was contagious. So, it was with great anticipation that I finally paid a brief visit to the island a couple of years ago. It wasn't enough! My second visit was a bit more extended and more visits are planned. What an amazing little place -quaint and nostalgic! It's an artist's haven. It is a place filled with details of history.

All of our lives are filled with details, lines of activity, shades of emotion from the darkest to the lightest. To each one of us, those details are important. They are part of who we are. Most people that we interact with can handle some of the details, but no one would have the capacity to handle all of the details of another persons' life. It amazes me that we have a God who concerns Himself with all of the details of our lives. Not one single detail escapes Him. Read Psalm 139:

¹ O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
³ You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
⁵ You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
¹² Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
¹⁶ Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

¹⁹ O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
²⁰ For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
²² I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴ And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

God, the creator of the universe is an artist who takes great pains with the details. He designed His handiwork carefully and with precision. But He didn't stop there, He continues to concern Himself with the details of His handiwork and each of His creatures, including you and me.
He loves you more than you can imagine. Think about that!
We are at the dawn of a new year. Will you trust God with the details? Will you find comfort and peace in knowing that He is in complete control? Will you rest in His loving arms? I hope so.
Blessings,
~Ruth

The Watered Garden

"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

"They shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the bounty of the Lord- Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; and their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again." Jeremiah 31:12

It is spring! We've had plenty of rain in this region. Things in my yard are looking lush and green. The weeds are sprouting quite rapidly, too. As I spend time in my various gardens pulling the weeds, I can't help but think about analogies to our Christian lives. The weeds being the things that are ugly; things that damage or hinder our growth as God's children. We all struggle with such things. I'm thankful that God is the Master Gardener. All that He does, He does to perfection.

When God created the world, He saw fit to make human beings. He placed the 1st man in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 1:31 says "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good...." It was perfect! The Garden of Eden must have been more beautiful than anything that we've ever had the opportunity to look upon. Perfect beauty. No weeds! No sin! But sin entered the world. Ugliness became a part of the picture! God could have destroyed it all and started all over again. That's often the way I do things when they don't turn out right, but our Creator is merciful and compassionate. He had a plan for all of us which included redemption.

Isaiah 58:11, a favorite of mine, was written to God's children who had turned away from Him. Likewise, the passage from Jeremiah was written to wayward children. Our God is a God of redemption and restoration. What a comfort to us that He doesn't abandon His children. He offers us hope! As we yield our lives to Him, we can be certain that He will guide; He will satisfy; He will nourish, strengthen and help us! We will be like the watered gardens! Our lives will flourish. The beauty of Christ will grow within us and radiate outward so that others will see and be drawn to our Savior. For it is He, who is to be the Main Attraction in the garden of our lives.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (text by Joachim Neander)

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy help and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires all have been
granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder a-new what the Almighty can do
if with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the "a-men" sound from His people again;
Gladly forever adore Him!

May we all live our lives yielded to the Master Gardener! May our lives flourish and be like watered gardens!

Blessings,
~Ruth

Snow Days

I'm sitting at my desk in a warm house while outside a snowstorm is raging. It is the second big storm within the past week. It isn't the norm for this region, so life for most people has ground to a sudden halt. We are stuck in our houses, or neighborhoods with interrupted schedules and unexpected time to rest, relax, reflect and maybe get caught up on a few things. Those who live with a family have the opportunity to share some time alone, perhaps making memories or just enjoying each others' company.

Andrew Murray once wrote..."take time to be separate from all friends and all duties, all cares and all joys; time to be still and quiet before God. Take time not only to secure stillness from man and the world, but from self and its energy... " For most of us, it is extremely difficult to find time to be away from all of the hustle and bustle of life and be still before the Lord. On a snow day, the hustle and bustle is gone. There is time! The snow itself reminds me of the pure and lovely holiness of our God. It reminds me of what my Savior did for me when He died on the cross. My sins are washed away! They are as white as snow! By faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I have been made clean! My heart is filled with awe for the Creator of the snow. Snow days offer the opportunity to spend a bit of time alone with Him in worship and praise and adoration.

Words of a well known hymn written by William Longstaff in 1887....

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide with Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak;
forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let him be thy guide,
and run not before Him, whatever betide;
in joy or in sorrow, still follow thy Lord,
and, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy,be calm in thy soul;
each thought and each motive beneath his control;
thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Not everyone enjoys the snow! But, God is in control and He allows the storms to come when they do. So, life does grind to a halt. We can make the most of it.... or we can complain. Using the time to reflect on God and His Word is sure to bring blessings and peace.

May you be blessed where ever you are-
~Ruth

The Significance of Light

Recently, I've been thinking about the importance of light to every living thing. All of life depends upon light! Light is essential to life. Even the creatures that are hidden in the deepest recesses of the earth depend upon the life that exists above ground; life that could not be a source of life to other living things if light were hidden from view.

Light illumines. On a dark night, one can't see the colors in the landscape. All is clothed in shades of blackness. Even a small light on a dark night can give enough illumination so as to be a guide to one who needs to see.

The watercolor above was painted last December at Christmastime. It is a time of the year when we celebrate the "One true light that came to give light to all men". Without Him there is no real "life." He is my light and my salvation. He is the One who illumines my darkness. His word guides me. All that is good and lovely and right is dependent upon His light!

There are close to 150 passages in the Bible that refer to light as something that illumines, guides, gives truth, is connected to righteous and to God the Father and Jesus Christ, His only Son. On the very 1st day of creation, the 1st thing that God created was light. Light would be necessary for the living things that were soon to be created. Light is Significant to your very being! It is essential to your spiritual health and eternal life. Without the One true light, there is only death and darkness. As you go through this season, call on the One who gives light. Seek Him! Ask Him to show His light and His truth to you.

There are several great carols that we sing this time of the year which remind us of that great light. I would urge you to ponder on the meaning of the words to some of those carols as you sing them this season.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (verse 3)

Hail the heave'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the SUN of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healinbg in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.... (text by C. Wesley - tune by Mendelssohn)

O Little Town of Bethlehem (verse 1)

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The EVERLASTING LIGHT:
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.... (text by Phillips Brooks)

May His light be yours!
Merry Christmas!
~Ruth

Glorious Colors

One of the most colorful times of the year is autumn. Color everywhere! Vibrant colors! Warm, earthy colors! All shades of orange, red and yellow! Autumn sunsets are amazing! The crimson, orange sky puts off such a glow that one might almost believe that the landscape has been magically turned to gold. It's hard to imagine that anything could be more lovely.... and yet, heaven will be... And there will be no autumn in heaven! The autumn colors that we see are a reminder of the death that is soon to come! The shorter days, and colder weather cause the leaves to change color just before falling from the tree. Then comes winter. In heaven, there will be no death! There will be no winter... no more night....

From Revelation 21 and 22 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.' And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.' Then He said to me, 'It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.' 'He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.....
... then one of the seven angels said, 'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels....
.... the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass, the foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysolprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.... Then he (the angel) showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him: they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.... The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."

Our finite, human minds simply aren't capable of imagining heaven the way it really will be. We've never seen anything like it. Heaven will be far more glorious than the most beautiful autumn day. We won't miss what we have seen on this earth. Heaven will FAR surpass any earthly splendor. What we see and enjoy here on earth should draw us to the One who is the creator and sustainer of all things! He is the the faithful One who promises to meet all of our needs. He loves us more than any human being ever could. He will never betray, abandon or forsake His dear children. The glorious colors of autumn remind me that my God takes delight in His creation. His amazing creativity fills me with awe and wonder! That He would love me and take care of me is truly humbling.

"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." Isaiah 25:1

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." Psalm 34:1-3

A hymn text written just a few years ago by the late James Montgomery Boice....

Come to the waters, whoever is thirsty;
drink from the Fountain that never runs dry.
Jesus, the Living One, offers you mercy,
life more abundant in boundless supply.

Come to the River that flows through the city,
forth from the throne of the Father and Son.
Jesus the Savior says, "Come and drink deeply."
Drink from the pure, inexhaustible One.

Come to the Fountain, without any money;
buy what is given without any cost.
Jesus, the gracious One, welcomes the weary;
Jesus, the selfless One, died for the lost.

Come to the Well of unmerited favor;
stretch out your hand; fill your cup to the brim.
Jesus is such a compassionate Savior.
Draw from the grace that flows freely from him.

Come to the Savior, the God of salvation.
God has provided an end to sin's strife.
Why will you suffer the Law's condemnation?
Take the free gift of the water of life.

Don't let the things of this life bog you down and distract you from knowing the only One who can satisfy your deepest longings and needs. This life is temporary! I was recently commissioned to paint a plaque with an old familiar saying... "Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." What profound words. I couldn't help but ponder on the meaning of them. Oh, that we might live each day with eternity in mind! Oh, that we might drink from the "Fountain that never runs dry."

blessings,
~Ruth

Still Life

My reading this morning from Joy and Strength was so right for me today that I have to write about it.
Invincible Patience by Mary Wilder Tileston-
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

"Plan not, nor scheme, --but calmly wait;
His choice is best.
While blind and erring is thy sight,
His wisdom sees and judges right,
So trust and rest."
Adelaide A Proctor

" 'GREAT peace have they which love My law.' They see that from ME, the sovereign Ruler of the world, who governeth all things with infinite wisdom, order, and love, nothing but good can spring; and that I can take care of them and their affairs far better and more successfully than they could of themselves.
Thus, considering that all that happens to them comes from Me, they are strong with an invincible patience, and bear all things, not only with resignation, but with cheerfulness and joy, tasting in all things that befall them externally or internally the sweetness of My ineffable love. And this is to believe, and meditate with a cheerful and grateful spirit, even in the midst of tribulations and difficulties, that it is I who sweetly dispose all things, and that whatever happens springs from the inexhaustible fountain of My goodness." --St. Catharine of Siena

My immediate response to the reading was, "YES, I know this!" Then, why do I at times wiggle and squirm when I can't see the road ahead or when things are unbearably difficult? Psalm 46:10 reminds me to "Be still, (cease striving) and KNOW that I AM GOD." Ruth 3:18 says "Sit still, my daughter and wait and see how the matter will be settled." The sovereign God of the universe, the One who loves His children with an everlasting love has everything under control! Underneath are His everlasting arms!
"Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed NEVER cease, for His compassions NEVER fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord IS my portion, says my soul, therefore I have HOPE in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord." (Lamentations 3:20-26)
How do I wait? Psalm 5:3 reminds me that I can wait expectantly. Psalm 27:14 commands me to wait, to be strong and courageous. Psalm 33:20 reminds me that I can wait, hoping in the Lord because He is my strength and shield. Psalm 37:7 commands me to "Be STILL and WAIT patiently. And then there is the well known verse in Isaiah 40 that promises that those who wait for the Lord "will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." There are numerous verses in the Bible that refer to waiting. It is worth the effort to look them all up and write them out. I keep a spiritual journal. It is filled with verses, prayers, devotional words and the words to hymns and choruses. It is within the pages of my journal that I often find strength and encouragement when I am weak.

What is a still life? In art, it is generally a composition of inanimate objects that are placed in such a way as to draw the viewer in and communicate something to them. It can be something of great beauty. For a child of the King, a still life - is a life of resting in the Lord, of trusting Him because He is in absolute control of everything. It is a life that doesn't try to manipulate or orchestrate circumstances for the benefit of achieving one's desires. It is a life that waits for the Lord and stays busy doing the work that He has given to be done. It is a life of continuous surrender to daily circumstances.... a life of contentment which allows no room for complaining about anything - not even the weather. It is a life of great beauty and one which draws the viewer to Christ.

Jesus I am Resting, Resting

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
and Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
and have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings;
Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me as I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart. Hymn text by Jean S Pigott

blessings,
~Ruth

Comfortable Places

The painting on the left is of an 18th century inn which is nestled against a hill and surrounded by woods. It sits on a bridle trail that follows a winding creek. I've spent many hours on that trail and the surrounding trails. One of my favorite times of the year to visit this hideaway place is the autumn. Imagine the smell of woodsmoke in the air, vibrant colors all around, crispy leaves crunching beneath the feet on the gravely trail and birds singing their farewell songs. The ducks in the creek are generally making their racket, too. Excitement is in the air. The heat of summer has gone! Time to move on! It is a comfortable place to be. When I am there, I savor every moment. I want time to stop. Everything that is stressful or distracting flees for those seconds and life feels wonderful.
But, that isn't life, is it? Most of us can recall moments in time that are absolutely glorious! Moments in which we are bursting from the emotional swells that we feel. Human nature so longs to be in the "Garden of Eden" every day. We often seek things that make us feel comfortable and avoid things that bring discomfort. That is because we can't imagine the end result of going through "uncomfortable" circumstances. Isn't it a blessing that our loving, heavenly Father is busy molding and making us more like His Son, our Savior? That process isn't a lifelong vacation in the Garden of Eden. It is a steady journey that has an earthly beginning and end. It is a journey that winds through the valleys, up to the mountain peaks, along great stretches of sameness and through some very difficult terrain. Often that journey is exhausting! But we are not journeying alone. Jesus Christ, our Savior is right there with us! He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light."
So, maybe right now you are not in the most comfortable place. Maybe God has pushed you into a place where necessary growth can take place. Submit to His plan! Trust Him! Lean on Him! Be grateful for the blessings that He has given to you.
Not far from the idyllic scene in the painting is a busy metropolis. The scenes that might portray that place might be ones of stress, crime, busyness, overcrowding, sadness, etc. Isn't is amazing that in the midst of all of that, one can retreat to a place of quiet and peace? Likewise for God's children - even in times of difficulty, peace can be found. Isaiah 26:3,4 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock." That is the most comfortable place to be.
Another favorite hymn.... words which have ministered to me during times of great difficulty and worth memorizing...

Like A River Glorious

Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace,
Over all victorious in it's bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Refrain:
Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blest-
Finding as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow,
Never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry,
Not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the sun of love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do-
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true. (Frances Ridley Havergal)

Blessings and peace,
~Ruth