Happy summer to all (at least in the Northern Hemisphere)! I've created an Etsy listing for prints of my watercolor painting, "Tulips" about the joy of summer - both the literal season and the season of the heart. You can click here to view.
joy
Colorado Magic
From the intricate details of a Columbine wildflower to skies soaring over mountain peaks, Colorado is truly a magic place. I am prone to sudden and frequent exclamations to my children, "Do you realize how blessed we are to live here!?" As I roam my home state, chasing after my kids' baseball games this summer, wonder and gratitude…Read more Colorado Magic
Summer Has Come
Time and space for painting and writing is scarce this summer. Without accessing those deep creative parts of my being, at times I feel dry and out-of-touch with myself and with God. But I am simultaneously aware that my heart is storing away moments like treasures from a far-away land. Moments in time that, when there…Read more Summer Has Come
Scars That Tell of the Good Life
With the kind of radiance that hints at secret knowledge of something very deep and very good, Noyo eagerly describes the privilege he feels in serving his native country, Haiti, as a Young Life staff-worker. “Just because something is easy,” he explains, “doesn’t mean it is the best. If you do something easy, it doesn’t…Read more Scars That Tell of the Good Life
A Rooftop Crack in Haiti
On Monday, dawn crept over me on a rooftop in Haiti. Just below, massive trucks lumbered over narrow rocky streets, lugging water to and from a water purification facility. Roosters crowed and dogs barked. People walked, sang, laughed, and chattered in every nook and cranny in the streets, balconies and rooftops all around. Palm fronds…Read more A Rooftop Crack in Haiti
Painting My Gratitude
Early in the morning, before the sun, I rise in a shadowed sleepy house. Shaking dreams from the edges of my mind, I cradle the Book. Eager, expectant, this my most treasured hour. I listen to steady slow breathing, rising from rooms all around. Overcome, my heart swells and overflows. It seeps and fills every…Read more Painting My Gratitude
Merry Christmas!
May the joy of Christmas shine brightly in your heart! With heartfelt thanks to my blogging community - your encouragement has meant the world to me this year!
Give a Heart Gift
My 16-year-old son wanted to surprise a special-someone with flowers. The problem – he was flat broke with no money-earning opportunities even on the horizon. Thinking quickly, I offered a suggestion. His expression at first registered disbelief, then utter scorn. “I am absolutely serious!” I argued. “Think about it!” After a few minutes, he disappeared…Read more Give a Heart Gift
Offering – Pondering the Lives of Mother Teresa Sisters
Kenya, 2001 (somewhere near Nairobi's second largest slum) Blinking in the transition from blazing equatorial sunlight to sacred shadows, we hesitate in the foyer. The sanctuary stretches before us, an ordination service for new Sisters already in progress. Rows of simple benches packed to capacity march along concrete floors. I spot an open space in…Read more Offering – Pondering the Lives of Mother Teresa Sisters
What I love about blogging
It’s like I am standing on one end of a simple footbridge, a path I’ve walked and loved for years; but I’m suddenly skittish and afraid to cross. That’s how I feel about writing and sharing my art and photography today. Two days ago, I received the humbling encouragement that my post was selected for…Read more What I love about blogging