A new web site is in the works!

This will be a place specifically for the artwork. People will not only be able to go there to view but will also be able to purchase my artwork. My desire is that the proceeds of the sales will help support me as a missionary and will help to support other ministries and missionaries. This is still in the formative process but I will not “despise the day of small beginnings”! Here is a snapshot of the basic look and feel. I am very excited!!!

Here is an update with some background added in (and taken in better lighting). I have not been able to devote much time to her this week as I have had other things I have been busy with. Three of the last seven days I have had art classes or workshops. I had a dentist appointment - which was an awesome provision of the Lord! I have spent considerable time deciding on aspects of and consulting with a friend for the look of my new web site for art. You will soon be able to check it out at www.laborofloveart.com!

This is a young lady from Mozambique.

I started the initial sketch for a “homework” assignment where I was to paint the entire painting in grayscale, to later add the color as many layers of transparent glazes. This is called a Grisaille painting.

Instead tonight as I prepared to begin the painting I had this impromptu curious thought about using water-soluble ink pencils. I’ve only worked minimally with them in the past and never on canvas - just paper -  and this is a 24″ x 30″ canvas! I drew with the pencils and then used a damp brush to blend it out. It was quite interesting! I see other possibilities opening up. I have plenty still to do but it is 4:45 am and I need to sleep. I hope to post a finished picture sometime soon.

My thoughts on this are to somehow use it to raise awareness of a great prayer need regarding statistics I found for the city of Beira, Mozambique. (This is the main city of an area I will be going to next. ) It was reported that the HIV infection rate there is 35% - twice the national average. One “sex worker” they interviewed said that she was aware of the risk of HIV infection but got US$4.00 for sex with a condom but could get US$10.00 for sex without. Due to financial need she was willing to risk her own life, but really many other lives as well. The problem is so big but nothing is too big for You, God. Lord Jesus please reveal your heart and solution to those held in this type of bondage.

Almost all of my paintings have come from first being inspired by an idea or a message. That was not the case with this one. It was a photo I had taken of one of the girls in Mozambique and I just wanted to paint her … for a number of reasons! Actually she is still in process - I am still working on her - but not too long ago I was praying about what the title of this painting would be and kept getting the word “reason” or “the reason”.  I then researched the use of that word in the Bible. Ephesians 3:14 stood out to me right away. It starts out “For this Reason” …

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what [is] the width and length and depth and height– to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

Yes, it is for this reason, for these children, that I bow before the Lord. I need His riches in glory and the strength of His Spirit in my inner man. I need Him dwelling in my heart. I need to be rooted and grounded in His love - so that I can go and pour His love upon them. To the best of my knowledge her name is Carassa. I went to look up what the meaning of her name is and the closest match I found was of French origin and it means “Loving Touch”!

On the first day back in the prayer room after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, my pastor called us together to pray for the people of that nation and all affected.

As soon as we began to pray I saw this image of the woman wearing the traditional Indian Sari in the vibrant yellow and orange. I thought “Wow that’s neat. I’d love to try to draw it - but I am supposed to be praying now”. I went back to praying and again the image came to mind. This time I felt it was not only something that I would like to portray but that God wanted it portrayed. I gathered my things and moved to the side of the room and began to draw what I had seen. I later painted this from the original drawing.

I feel the source of India’s hope and comfort are spoken through this image. In the midst of tragedy this woman was lifting her arms in a sacrifice of praise and worship. As I continued to draw, the idea came to have the hand of Jesus reaching in to grasp hers. It was as if her willingness to surrender her worship in the moment of heartache actually positioned her for this intimate connection with her Savior.

Keep yourselves in God’s love …

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them;

Jude 1:21 - 23a NIV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,

“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:1-4 NIV

I found the combination of these two truths from the Word to be perfectly captured in this picture  of my son, taken when he was just three. I saw a mixture of childlike tenderness and sadness in his face. The plastic fire hat that he wears says “Fire Chief”. How does one attain this position of highest authority and rank? It is a title given to one who has proven their ability to lead by consistently laying down their life and running into the fire to snatch others out.

Save - G4982 - Sozo - 1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction

Snatch - G26 - Harpazo - 1) to seize, carry off by force

There is urgency to this act! This grabbing or grasping is not an insensitive, angry or hateful action. It is one prompted by sacrifice and love!

The battle is not against the people! It is against the fire which unmercifully seeks to devour them - their lives, the lives of their family members and their homes.

Do I have these qualities in my live?

Could I be described as one who is childlike in my tenderness, mercy and love?

If I passed that part of the examination would I pass the next?

Is there enough profundity to those characteristics to make me so sad at the thought of others perishing; I would volunteer to run into fires and snatch them out?

Also influenced by  Psalms 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:8 and Philippians 4:8

Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”

(This was an image/idea that came one morning while spending time in the prayer room.)

This painting is from a photo I took of a Baobab Tree growing in the “Village of Joy” a children’s center in Pemba, Mozambique.

Proverbs 18:10

A tower of strength [is] the name of Jehovah,

Into it the righteous runneth, and is set on high. (YNG)

Also Psalms 61:3 - For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy. (NASB)

The more commonly known translations read: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (NKJV and NIV)

The second half of the verse was the most influential in my choice of the Young’s Literal Translation. The more common versions use the phrase “run to it” but the YNG says “into it”.

To me this slight variation is huge. Think about these two scenarios from the perspective of you as a young child. In one, you are hurt, frightened or lonely and you run to your parent and stand by their side while they speak words of comfort, peace and love. In the other you are hurt, frightened or lonely and you run to your parent and they lift you up into their arms, lovingly embrace you and speak words of comfort, peace and love.

The verse says His name is the “tower of strength”. How does one run “into” a name?

Most names have meanings although less emphasis is placed on this in modern western culture.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Name” as this - 1) - a word or phrase by which a person, thing or class of things is known; title. 2) - a word or phrase expressing some quality considered descriptive; epithet 3) - fame or reputation …

Throughout Scripture God reveals Himself to us through His names. When we study these names we will better understand who God really is.

The phrase “set on high” is unique to this version.

The aforementioned example relates to this also. Safe as used in the English language is an adjective, a word that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun. The Hebrew word (H7682 in Strong’s Concordance) is sagab, a verb, indicating a action or a state.

This phrase is also in Job 5:11, He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

This is a drawing did in 2007 from a photograph I took while in Mozambique. As I was working on it the phrase from 1 Thessalonians 2:7 kept coming to mind. It says - “but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children”. She did have a baby in her arms when I took the picture but I had zoomed in on her face.

In May 2008 I was asked by missionary Melissa Stanton if I could paint the map of Mozambique on a 4′ x 6′ floorcloth that she had purchased in the US. Melissa oversees prayer at our center in Pemba and wanted to use this with the children so they could actually lay hands on and pray for specific areas of the country. (We adults got to use it too!)It showed all of the different provinces as will as the provincial capitals. I wish I was able to get a clearer photo!