The Gospel In Marriage, Guarding Against Immorality, & Creative People

WE ARE ALL SINNERS!
Todd Friel's G3 Breakout session was really good and convicting. 
It's about husbands and wives, but it is just as good for those of us who are not married.
Discipling Your Spouse

GUARDING AGAINST TEMPTATION
Learn about the tactics that lead to immorality & guard against them as a Christian.
This was given to college students.  It's the kind of message that a lot of young people should hear (and older people needing to be reminded).
Message by Tom Pennington

CREATIVE PEOPLE
I have met some really interesting people online.
The following is one of them!

A Message For You To Share

I spent much of my day working on a project that presented many obstacles to complete!
It not only shares some of the paintings I've done, but more importantly it shares a message I wanted to spread .
Please share it!

Are You A Bad Imitator of God?

I finally finished a painting in anticipation of my surgery scheduled for Friday.

I will likely not be able to use my arm for awhile much, although I was told that using the hands and fingers would be a good thing.  Many people online though make it sound as though that will be a problem, and since I was having a better day than usual I went ahead and finally got the painting done with.

 

My painting is an imitation of a painting in a book which reminds me in a greater sense how Christians are to be imitators of God as beloved children.  I feel so far from being like Christ, and I sin so much.  I want to see His image reflected in my life as part of His church.   He is the one who sanctifies and cleanses by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present His church in all its glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing. (Ephesians 5).  

 

Even as a Christian whose sins are forgiven, I continually need to repent of my present sins.  It can be discouraging like looking at my artwork and then looking at the original and how pitiful it looks in comparison.  One day I will be perfected though, because He who promised is faithful even when I feel faithless.  So much grace is needed for a wretch like me.  I want to love Him more and reflect His love to others.  It's a good thing that my salvation isn't dependent on me.

 

 

While I may have to take a long break from posting (we shall see), I thought I'd share some links and messages that especially stood out to me recently.

 

• Ten Reasons Good Christians Go Bad - C Michael Patton  - I can relate some or a lot to numbers 1, 4, 5, and 9.  How about you?

 

• The Anatomy of the Church: The Internal Systems, Part 3 - John MacArthur - Hear what John said about R Rated movies in 1983

Unfinished Painting

 

This is an unfinished painting that I have been working on.  It enters my mind in sharing this that I am an unfinished painting in a way.  Oh, I don't mean literally of course, but God is working on my life and is completely sovereign over it.  He doesn't make mistakes or substitutes like I do.  While I may sin in my life and things may seem out of control with my body doing really strange things that frighten me, even what I do or what the result of this fallen corrupted decaying world entails cannot alter His ultimate design and plan for both me and the world.  One day I will finally see the completed picture.
What looks like chaos in this world will end with a joy for all believers that all our suffering cannot be compared with. 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18 NASB

Card Art Fun

These are two of my cards that were done in the past.  I painted the originals, and they were then copied onto card stock paper and cut and folded.  I think it's fun to sometimes send cards that are uniquely my own.  Some of you are probably artistic and do similar things.  Even if you don't paint or draw, you can cut out or buy paper shapes and use stickers or magazine photos/art to glue onto blank cards or cardstock paper. 

A Drawing of My Mom



My Mom

This is a drawing I did years ago from a photo of my Mom from her senior year in high school.

She was very beautiful...still is!

I've been having some difficulty with my blog recently with the layout getting messed up when I post some videos, so I thought I'd share another one of my art photos.  I hope that I will be able to figure out what the problem is soon.

Meanwhile, you can enjoy seeing what my Mom looked like in high school!

One of My Paintings

I decided to share again some of my artwork from over the years. I'm nowhere near professional, so keep in mind that I do this occasionally for enjoyment. It's fun to have something completed, but I can't be a perfectionist too much when I do these things. It would drive me nuts! I will feature one or two at a time now and then. In the future I plan to share one done by my grandfather as well. This ocean one I did is with watercolor and perhaps some pencil and charcoal. It's been a long time since I did it at this point. I hope you enjoy it!