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Shifting Shadows

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV

Late afternoon shadows…

Radiance and obscurity take on their roles in the grand finale of the day.

Make haste! Seize the ideal interplay of light, color, and darkness before it shifts! With each passing second the scene changes. Which moment strikes most? This one? Or this? The next?

These thoughts are ingrained in me as an artist. But all of us, artists or not, deal with other kinds of “shifting shadows” on a daily basis. Aspects of our lives go from splendid to sorrowful…. from full of hope, then maybe to despair…. with many shades in-between.

The good news is there is One who never changes! In Him there is no darkness! God, who created all the lights in the heavens, is Himself the source of all light. To all who have believed in Christ as their personal savior, He gives the ability to live uncertain earthly lives with hearts set on a certain future heavenly life. In 1 Peter 1:3-6, Peter proclaims:

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance–an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 1 Peter 1:3-6 NLT

With my spirit tethered to God, I can choose to live on the other side of the clouds that threaten to steal my joy. I am able to rest in the assurance that He is unchangeable. His promises to me will surely come to pass! If you do not have this peace, please feel free to contact me.

Joy in Receiving the Light

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O Lord, You give me light; You dispel my darkness.   Psalm 18:28

Can there be a greater joy than that moment of realization, that moment when our head is lifted up, when we are illuminated with God’s marvelous light? The darkness of our former self was often not known to us as “dark” ~ until the light of God revealed the truth to us. Maybe we felt a restlessness, wondered why we existed, pondered the notion that there was something more to life than our current situation. These, the tappings on the shoulder by the Holy Spirit. Then, the culmination of the Light calling to us…and our glorious response of “YES! My Lord and my God!” We see the extended arm of Jesus beckoning to us. We place our hand in His, for eternity.

These things I pondered as I worked on “Backlit Sunflower”. The infusion of light gives life! Both in our spirits as well as in the natural world. However, one is permanent, one transitory. Do you notice the long rays of God’s first morning light peeking into your life? Do you long for settled peace within your soul? Hesitate no longer ~ respond to the call! Receive the Light that has no end, will never fade away or dim.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…   1 Peter 2:9

My Do-Over

If you read my “About the Artist” page, you might notice I have some unaccounted-for gaps in my art-life, the longest being the time after art school to pretty much last year.  “Why would she go through the schooling then abandon what she had started?” you may wonder.  Well, I was busy being creative in other ways….I had gotten married in the fall of 1988, and a few years later created my first then second child.  In the meantime there were more health-related issues that caused me to not want to inhale or otherwise absorb those lovely pigments ever again.  For many years I considered my art school days as just some other life I had lived long ago, rarely ever to be revisited.

I worked in a couple different areas of interest for years, but two years ago I gave thought to producing artwork once again.  I’m so thankful for second chances!  If there is something you’ve always wanted to do, or started a long time ago and gave up on, it’s not too late for you either.  Start again and move forward!