A Secret to Shout

Why? Why does what I do matter? Does it? Why should I care? I ask this question again and again. And again the still, quiet voice whispers. And I know there is meaning in life. But how does it apply to me?

Because of the someday, the now is part of the someday. Motivation comes not from within me, but from Him within me. Which makes me part of eternity and the great plan. Now, I need to do and live. Press on. There is meaning in someday, in the other world-the spiritual realm... so logically there is meaning here too. There is a reason to not give up. There is a reason to keep working. It's part of the PLAN. The big picture. But because there is a big picture, there are details! Like a beautiful painting, its each small part that makes the whole what it is. Each small part adds to the meaning. And vice versa! All the little parts (you and me) add up to make that big picture so awesome.

How much does it mean to us that our lives are snatched from the grave? That our souls are saved from a righteous eternnal damnation? Should we not live and breath gratitude? What can anything else mean in the face of this awesome knowledge? One's whole being is utterly transformed. Of course we are different people. We ought to have died and someone else died in our place. And He gives us His righteousness so we CAN live! And He holds us close to his heart. US! Yeah! Shout it out! So we dance, we smile, we cry. We Live. Because He Lives!!

We are joined to meaning Himself. We will someday no longer seek our purpose. We will BE it. We will be free in the ultimate sense. FREE to just be. And just be, perfectly.

Oh, and hey, it starts now!! :D

Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. ~Matt. 7:7,8

A Living Book

Hi! :) I want to share a few Bible verses today. This Book is so amazing: it is the living Word of God that speaks to us every moment. Lately, I have noticed this afresh. Whenever I open it, I think, "Wow, this is as perfect for today as it was 2,000 years ago!" The Bible is the love story of salvation (all of it points to Christ), the Law, our guide to how to live, a dependable source of wisdom and of strength. It is the book that contains the most wisdom, tells the sweetest love story, the truest history, and the most amazing truth, is the most encouraging (to believers), the most necessary exhortation, and the best theology! It far surpasses any other book because it is the WORD of God. When we study it, we are in His presence in a special way.

Ezekiel 3:2

So I opened my mouth and he fed me this scroll, And he said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your body with this scroll I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them."

Matt. 6:47

Everyone who comes to me and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Psalm119:129

Thy testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them. The unfolding of thy words it gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Thy commandments.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then brethren, stand firm and hold to the tradition you were taught whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our father, who has loved and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work.

True Joy: With Pain?

There is so much more to life than we realize. How often are we just going through the motions? There is so much that we are not taking advantage of. And so much more that we can BE. This is not works to please God or obligations to fulfill in order to assure our worth or status in anyone's sight. But it is a more full realization of all that we can be in Christ. We can be living examples of his grace. We can show and share Christ's love. We can be immersed in his joy and peace that turn the bitter pills of life into true gladness. I believe that it is the ultimate joy to be not just happy because nothing is wrong, but be glad because something WAS wrong but now is whole. Pain is still here, but so is our Savior.

It is my experience that people who must go through hardship in their lives are often more joyful than those for whom everything seems to go well. They have learned, by the grace of God, to trust him more fully because they have nowhere else to go. Being in complete reliance on God enables us to have joy because we are no longer trying to be good enough or find joy within ourselves. Those who need God more, who see their sin, their pain, their hurt, have a joy that goes deeper. They are connected with the bigger picture

of eternity and salvation.

Life is so big and so special, but this time (before heaven) is short. It means so much because it is a part of eternity. Eternity doesn't begin when we get to heaven, it begins now! How can we live like we understand this?

photo by Anna Lofgren

A Deeper Reality

As Christians we know that there is more to life than material things. There are realities that we cannot physically comprehend. When we think "abstract" we think of words like "God, souls, love, truth, fear." These are as solid realities as the material ones. But there other things which are real. Relationships between things, between people, between material and immaterial, and between immaterial things are actualities themselves. In fact, every thing and concept is affected by every other one. When we know someone really well we know them for more than what they look like, more than what they do, we know as them. I am not endorsing the neo-platonic view of separation of material and immaterial (that earthly things are bad). An illustration of this how we react to color. A room painted red will give a different effect than one in blue. Or try line. A solid straight line seems to say something different a loose curvy one. It is different but is it the same difference to everyone? As an artist I am interested in understanding this deeper reality. When I first started to draw, my goal was lifelikeness. I did not achieve this in any way. Then I realized that it is not what you know but what you see. The eyes see things differently than they are. (A bird may look like a flash of white). But this past year I have connected a few more dots. Art is about creating an image. It translates something that previously existed into something that can be viewed and shared. It brings something from the immaterial world into the tangible. Often, and this is my goal, it communicates about something that we know or understand in a more powerful way(than simply looking). As my professor says, "Artists are no different(capability-wise) than anyone else-they are just much more sensitive to what they are perceiving." Abstract and non-objective art is often a result of this search for understanding the reality of something. (though not necessarily). It is not just what things look like that contributes to its essence. In Christian Perspective class, the professor said,"What is the ultimate reality? God." I asked" How can something more or less real? That is an absolute." He said that is not what he meant. Everything is caused by something else. We call God the Prime Mover and ultimate Truth. Everything is not God, but He is the Creator sustainer. So as Christian artists when we are searching for that something more, we are learning about God and his creation. It is a lifelong journey, one that I am eager for and that I am excited to be on.