spiritual journey

A Tree Planted by Water

Jeremiah 17:7-8 7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,     whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water,     sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes,     and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious,     and it…Read more A Tree Planted by Water

Elijah’s Ravens

Elijah's Ravens is one of those paintings that flows from a place of deep sorrow and unyielding hope, one of those creative processes expressing inaccessible-by-words movements of the spirit. The closest I can come to verbalization of what this painting means is to borrow words from a powerful little book I've been reading lately, Reversed Thunder, by one…Read more Elijah’s Ravens

Remembering Nepal

Only God could write a storyline in which a Colorado country girl rides an elephant in Nepal with a Kenyan pastor, a dear friend who serves in Nairobi’s second largest slum. We laughed and joked as we rocked along with the giant beast, waving to a field worker dressed in brilliant hues. (Photos in story can…Read more Remembering Nepal

Studio Update

I recently entered the Colorado Springs Art Guild Spring Show, Impressions, and I'm thrilled that one of my pieces won 2nd place. It's an older piece that increases exponentially in meaning for me as I near the "launching" of my oldest child, who graduates from high school next month. My heart pleads and trusts daily for his…Read more Studio Update

Battered Little Tree

when harsh winds blow and I stand exposed with no hope of my own, battered and bruised: wrestling an angry sky, clinging to barren rock, bound by sedimentary days then - probe deep let questions fuel furious chiseling through, let desperate seeking leech Presence from silence oh, little tree swallowed by rock too grand, sky…Read more Battered Little Tree

Pamba Toto – Adorning Orphans

In 2006, our hearts broken for the orphans of Kenya yet rejoicing in the opportunity for some of them to be welcomed home and loved by our dear friends Pastor and Mama Karau, my friend Debbie Lee and I started Pamba Toto. Our goal was to generate funding for Hope's Promise's Sanctuary of Hope orphan…Read more Pamba Toto – Adorning Orphans

Sifted Into Gold, again

I return to an old, rutted road marked with a faded sign, almost hidden in untamed overgrowth: "Welcome poor in spirit." But with just one step, my eyes open in wonder. The promise isn't posted on a sign, for it is evident to all who dare stumble down its mysterious twists and turns, "for theirs…Read more Sifted Into Gold, again

Elijah’s Birds

In the wilderness, I build a fire for you. I call you softly by name: come, creep near, warm your hands, shelter in my arms. Like a fearful animal, afraid to trust but desperately cold with nowhere else to turn, you come. We huddle together against howling gusts. But without warning, a wind-whisper triggers memories just…Read more Elijah’s Birds

Joy Comes in the Morning

Early in the morning, “joy” lingers at the door and howls longingly to come in. I can’t resist. I crack the door, and he slips through eagerly. I settle on my chair, and he nestles his silky head on my lap. His front paws creep up to join his head. He lifts his lanky back…Read more Joy Comes in the Morning

Art As Sacred Exchange

In the last ten days, hell-flames burned near; but hope-fire blazed ever more real. At times I felt trampled, like grass in a flood:  soggy and mud clogged, bent under raging billows. Sometimes I felt like a tree surviving a winter storm, battered but proud, lifting weathered defiant arms in worship. Many times Elijah’s birds…Read more Art As Sacred Exchange