Envy

Lately God has been speaking to me.

Lying in bed last night I knew I had to read the bible. I do it every night before sleep. However I didn't know what to read. Then I thought "Psalm 23... wait no read Psalm 73!"
So I did, then after breakfast I jumped on my computer and checked my emails. I get a daily devotional by David Reay called Life Words. Todays devotional was on Envy and quoted part of the same passage of scripture I read last night.

Here it is:

Psalm 73: 1-5  (The Message)
 

No doubt about it! God is good—

    good to good people, good to the good-hearted.

But I nearly missed it,

    missed seeing his goodness.

I was looking the other way,

    looking up to the people

At the top,

    envying the wicked who have it made,

Who have nothing to worry about,

    not a care in the whole wide world. 

 

This is exactly something I have been struggling with lately. Envying those around me. I've Envied my friends for the supports they have in their families and the willingness of their parents to care for them. I've envied others for their good looks and for their talents, jobs, relationships and even houses. These small envies were eating me up inside. Causing sadness and heartache and have been preventing me from seeing God clearly. I have felt a small distance for a while and God has shown me why.

Praise the God of Heaven and Earth!

If any of you out there are struggling with this just look back to God and remember that he is Good. He looks after us. We may just be in a season of struggle and pain. That's fine, God will bring us through. And NEVER forget the blessings that await us in the new kingdom at the coming of Jesus!

Many Blessings!

Awake Oh Sleeper!

Recently I have spent a lot of time with people who sleep... A Lot!
Sleeping to the point that they have literally only been awake for maybe 4 or 5 hours in the day.

Now there is nothing wrong with sleep, it is something God has given to us to enable our bodies to function during the day. However, sleep can become an issue when you use it to escape from the world.

You may be thinking how is this person spending time with sleepers? Technically I'm not spending time with them because they are asleep. However, living in close quarters I have been doing my work around these sleeping people.

Here's the problem. When you sleep for so many hours in the day that you don't eat or interact with others there is a problem. This causes your relationships strain. Take it from someone who is up all day. I would love to socialise with you sleeper, but I can't. You are asleep.

Sleep is good but when you do too much of it you miss out on al the wonderful things God has made for us to enjoy. Like the sunshine, the sounds of birds outside and the sound of the beautiful rain we've had lately. You miss out on meal sharing with those who love you. You're life and your chores pile up to the extent that they are overwhelming. You also become a burden to those you live with.

Treat sleep respectfully. Use it as God intended. As something to enable you body to rest and recuperate so you can get on with life.


Do not sleep to excess people. How can you call that living? Do you really think by sleeping all your problems and struggles will fix themselves? Do you think that life will improve if you let is slip by? Is your dream land better than this world God has created for us?

Awake oh you sleeper. For God has many blessing for you in the day. He wants to love you and you to enjoy this world. And yes bad things will happen and life will be hard. But with God life is here to enjoy. So awake and be a blessing to the world!


Luke 22:46
"Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Remember we follow a God who loves us and who has overcome sin. So do not worry but live a life to serve him.

Many Blessings!

Breathless

Sometimes when I read the scriptures the power of the words causes breathlessness.
This happened this morning when preparing my scripture lesson for this week:

John 5:16-30

New International Version (NIV)

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205:16-30&version=NIV)

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.



Here's some art I've been doing for my mission this year. I'm on the art of our leaflets. If all goes well they will make it, if not I will have some beautiful art regardless.

Many Blessings to you all!

End Times

I'm really enjoying...

the New Living Translation of the Bible.
Today I got an email devotional which had the following section of scripture in it.

Revelation 22:1-5

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

The heading given for this section of scripture in the New International Version is "Eden Restored". Which is pretty awesome. I can't wait for heaven, its going to be mind blowing!


Here is a painting for yesterday, I've been exploring watercolour pencils and its turning out well I think.

Original Scan without Computer Editing.

With Computer editing.

Many Blessings!

Creative Days

So another semester is finished and I've spent the last few days just enjoying my paper, brushes, pencils and water. Experimenting and enjoying the small amount of down time I've had.
Here are a few things I've done. They are both my first attempts at watercolour pencils. After some YouTube watching I figured out it wasn't so hard.
 This is a dragon designed for a friend’s birthday gift at her request.

 This is a Jacaranda tree. Something I miss so much. There are a few around where I live but I miss the ones at my old house. There was a park that had carpets of purple flowers and I would enjoy them as I walked to and from the railway station. 

Many blessings!


2 Corinthians 5:15 - And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.