Spiritual Vision, Growth and Holiness

Found this commentary on the website spirithome.com and really liked it :

“One way to envision this is to look at Jesus as the Light from different angles. The first vision is that you see the Light: you experience the ‘something’ that pierces darkness and drives it away. The second vision is that you see by way of the Light: you see the blessed wretchedness and fallen splendor of the world He so loved. You see the poverty and the delusions of grandeur, the cowardice and the courage, the insight and the stupidity. You can see it for what it is when the Light shines on it. You even see yourself, out from the shadows, your body, your tastes, your visual effects. The third kind of vision is to see along the Light, past the peepholes and the crevices the Light sneaks through, out past the boughs and birds and nevels and the blue sky, to the blazing Source whose vision is branded upon you.

Within a devotional outlook on life, spiritual growth never ends. No matter how well you may think you have done, there’s always a whole lot more around the corner. This is a challenge, not a problem, but it doesn’t always feel that way. For any practices and disciplines you use, progress will often be like trying to run through a quagmire; the feet are weighed down by the thick mud, the legs pull, and you go very slowly. But you go nonetheless.

Holiness does not exist for its own sake; the moment it does, it’s no longer holy. The root of holiness is love. You can’t be holy for your own sake; the best of your own holiness is rags before God. As Paul pointed out about holiness, ‘it is not me, but Christ who lives in me’. Working on your own holiness for its own sake misses the point. If you look in the Bible at where God commands or commissions – say, at the Ten Commandments, or the Great Commission – you’ll find that they’re not focused on you. It’s ‘your neighbors’, ‘your mother and your father’, ‘the Kingdom of God’, ‘love your enemies’, ‘lend to others, expecting nothing in return’, ‘go therefore and make disciples’. God’s commands go outward from us, not inward. So, any turning inward is, at best, a temporary strategy for becoming whole enough to follow God the way we ought: by serving others and bearing witness. God’s own concern is directed out towards others. You are called to live the same way.”

Friends

This past weekend was beyond my expectations of  joy and grace.  I have a new friend (actually the immediate bond formed between us is nothing short of a straight up, verifiable miracle of Gods ability to unify those He divinely appoints.  There is NO way two people who do not know each other could bypass the getting acquainted phase of friendship to a profoundly absolute comfortability while in their presence in LITERALLY, NO TIME… I have witnessed this several times in my life—this supernatural acceleration between my spiritual family that it just cannot be denied as the glorious, miraculous way God bonds His children together) .  So here is my precious friend Carol and LAMBY.

The best part of getting this kind of TREASURE is the recognizing how the Lord saw my need for a spiritual big sister and put us at the same place at the same time.  It strengthens my faith so much when I know it was His Love, His AMAZING love for me to provide this person who just poured out the Love of  the Father onto me.  Words are hard to come by to adequately express the experience.  But like Rich, Delicious Chocolate, it is savored.  MUST Pause & Cherish.  I am humbled by this.  I am rejoicing in this.  I am in awe of this. 

my other two miracle of acceleration sisters Gracie and Elaina

Thank you so much Jesus, for your miracles, my friends.  The LIGHT you continue to shine into me through them.

Carolina Chocolate Drops

My family origin is Scotch-Irish with ancestors that actually came over on the Mayflower as well.  They settled in the Appalachian Mountain region, West Virginia eventually, where both my mother and father were born and raised–my father was born in 1916 and mother 1921.  The music of the Carolina Chocolate Drops moved me to tears as it invoked ALL of my memories of visiting West Virginia and my precious grand parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and family friends they had.  Rising up in me the profound respect for the way they lived, and who I ultimately am as a result of my heritage.

I have struggled with my “hillbilly” heritage, feeling ashamed of it when children I was friends with when I was around 7 began to ridicule my name (Bonnie Lou) and mock my parents accent.  And as a teenager I became ridiculously rebellious of this “scourge” I in error perceived was upon me.

Thankfully we mature and embrace where we come from!  I honor today my heritage of homegrown, hardworking farmers who worked with the land to provide for their families, who in spite of hardships, nurtured friendships and faith. 

My mom (pictured above) used to wash my dads heavy work clothes by HAND on a washboard, with only her bare hands to wring them out.  NO disposable diapers, NO feminine hygiene products (ugh–can you IMAGINE???), and all the food was grown or raised from the animals they kept.  My mom expressed to me however that she was so happy growing up on that farm, and her only regret she expressed about her own family was that her children did not grow up on a farm like she did as a child (My parents moved to Arizona in the late 1950′s).

I certainly did my share of disrespecting my parents.  I am sorry that I did that to them…they were worthy of far more respect than I gave them.  I know that God gave me incredible parents and I am THANKFUL for them. 

My mom made the best cornbread and beans and this song is wonderful! 

I love you mommy!  I will see Luther and Allie in heaven…and really looking forward to meeting “Devil” Anse Hatfield (my grandfathers COUSIN—lol—leader of the Hatfields clan who received Christ before he died).

Ps. 23 paraphrase

As I was reading Psalm 23 the phrase “Thou art with me” seemed to jump out at me as if God was trying to pound home the reality of His presence…there is a need in my life to recognize WHO is with me at all times.

 The LORD is my shepherd,  I shall NOT.  WANT. (nO matter what circumstances are saying)

for THOU ART WITH ME!

He leads me beside still waters, and gives me rest in the most peaceful places free from predators…for THOU ART WITH ME!

You restore my soul! (my mind, thoughts, dreams, emotions, intellect RESTORED to original Owners specifications)

I no longer fear evil…You comfort me….for THOU ART WITH ME!

Because of Your names sake (Your character is on the line),

You LEAD me in the ways of Righteousness (which means I can’t be led astray!)

Yes, even if I walk (notice this comes right after “You Lead me”) through the Valley of the Shadow of Death (I SERIOUSLY get off course) I will have nothing to fear… for THOU ART WITH ME!

Tables of celebration and FEASTS are prepared FOR ME any way! My head is annointed with oil  and my cup is overflowing…for THOU ART WITH ME!

Surely, GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow me ALL the days of my life (They hunt me down and CHASE me and TACKLE me, I cannot out run them!)

And I will  dwell in the house of the Lord forever…for THOU ART WITH ME!

 

getting THERE

I have always been drawn to clothing even as a tiny girl, I used to pull out my moms hand crocheted shawls and scarves, wrap myself up in them, belly dancer style.  I would then take necklaces from her HUGE stash of Sarah Coventry jewelry and make head pieces out of the necklaces.  Thinking back on that makes me realize just how much of the artist (designer) was living in me then.  I wish that the adults around me would have been able to deduce that and encourage that aspect of me.  They sadly did not—out of ignorance on how to nurture potential.  So I will need to nurture it NOW!  I cannot look back and allow resentment.  Regrets and resentment over others failures (particularly those of our parents, or caregivers while young) is simply a trap, an obstacle to actually arriving at THERE.  And I DECLARE…my THERE is HERE now.  What, or where is your THERE?    

The word THERE has really been in my mind alot lately.  I am using it to visualize the goals I have in mind, putting it up in my minds eye like a big, old,  rustic looking sign…and all that is on the sign is the single word…THERE. 

My THERE will be clothes that speak of my INNER self…clothes that communicate the inside, the soul, the spirit, the personality of the wearer.  I want to make them, and if I can’t make them, I want to find them. 
And if I can’t find them, I WILL make them.  And then I want to sell them to others who love them.  That is part of my personal THERE.

So the pictures in this post are styles that reflect my personality.  I would wear them and if they didn’t look right on me, I would drool over them like I do with these pictures.  I hope you enjoy them as well!  And more importantly, begin to imagine in full techno-color your THERE!

Best moments of Hope for Haiti telethon

I was overall pretty impressed with the telethon, with a few exceptions of superb performances.  Particularly I found the duet with Dave Matthews and Neil Young extraordinary as their voices and guitar work rose the hairs on  the back of my neck with this poignant, haunting melody.  Completely appropriate for this event and magnitude of disaster. 

And the surprising  duet of Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris which was one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard…ever.  I really like Justin Timberlake as a celebrity that still seems to retain a genuine sense of humility in spite of his popularity.  But can’t say I would go out and pay $$ for anything he has ever produced.  BUT when I saw this…well I was impressed by his talent for singing profoundly.

Other moving moments for me were, U2 with Rhianna, and Cheryl Crow with Keith Urban and Kid Rock performing Lean On Me. 

With such incomprehensible devastation and human suffering it is no doubt a daunting task for this kind of program to somehow transcend the darkness, but yet communicate the seriousness of the reality.  I give them much applause.

Chalk Pastels

 

A chalk pastel drawing completed a few weeks ago.  I love the medium of chalk.  It is challenging for me at times, but the ethereal feeling it evokes is most pleasing to me…softness and subtlety.  Kind of an airy quality.  If you are stuck with beginning a drawing, like I often am, just PLAY with the colors for a while.  The inner critic just drowns in the release of ALLOWING yourself to just simply play.  Don’t expect of yourself…this is where I typically freeze up.  In the expectations.  Just let the colors talk.  And begin.  If something doesn’t come, don’t give up.  Keep at it.  Look for ways that work just for you.  There are so many ways to express your inner being.  And the expression of that, is healing on so many levels.  I encourage you…to play.  and be.  happy.  *PeAcE*

 

Hello World!

jump over!

Starting my blog…how fun!  It is a new year, and a new day!  I am thankful for an opportunity to grow and thrive again!  I hope that this blog will introduce me to wonderful new friends who share their dreams along with me.  It is mostly about ART…but art encompasses SO many aspects of LIVING.  As a dear friend said Art is LIFE.  So if you are passionate about art, if you are passionate about living, join me in expressing our passion!  Lets explore creativity and all expression of the soul.  It is valuable.  It is joy.  This is all new for me so I ask for your patience while I learn the process of creating this blog.   I can hardly wait to see where the journey takes me!  Have a blessed day today!