A name suggested by the quick-witted Stu, aka The Gardener, meant to stir me, but in the end, quite appropriate! I did this one last night and didn't finish tioll nearly 4am, the details taking longer than I'd anticipated!! But I spent the first couple of hours talking to Graham who played guitar while I painted. See post below for setting and context.
I gave this one to Ron, a pastor from Churchlands who came down with a team of people to speak and lead worship on the church camp.
He was great, his message really speaking to where I'm at and how I feel but the real impact when he interrupted his message to ask a young girl sitting at the back who she was and who she belonged to?
Without turning around and before she could answer I knew it was Favouite Daughter and I started to cry! It's been happening a bit recently, mostly in a good way!
At the end of the service he called us both out to the front and he and the whole church prayed for us and it was wonderful, to be totally surrounded by people expressing love and support and encouragement and I cried a lot, even more when a man I didn't know spoke to me and began to speak words to me from God that were so accurate and significant to my journey and state of mind that I was overwhelmed. It was like a gentle touch from God that just washed over me, bringing both cleansing and healing at the same time. I hadn't expected it and wasn't prepared for it but the whole experience was both powerful and reassuring and a reminder of his love for me.
The follow-up came this morning when I shared the story of my ticket to the Grand Final and how much it had blessed me and confirmed to me that God knows me intimately and just like the scripture says, gave me the desire of my heart as a sign of his love and kindness, in spite of the distance I felt in my relationship with him and the dark and difficult road I've been on spiritually mentally and emotionally for the last year or thereabouts.
Of course there were more tears, and not just mine, and many people said afterwards how much they'd appreciated hearing my story and sharing in my joy and blessing.
(I haven't fully blogged the details of my Grand Final ticket yet but trust me when I tell you there were unexpected twists and turns and miracles personally given to me!!)
It was the trigger for a renewal of my faith and the start of a change in my heart and feelings towards God which have been dry and barren for quite a while.
I hope Ronand Melissa like the paintings, they had already returned to Perth before I'd finished them; one of the team is delivering the paintings to both of them on my behalf.
I really like both pictures but can also say that I received far more than them in this exchange of gifts, these are just small tokens of my gratitude.
I gave this one to Ron, a pastor from Churchlands who came down with a team of people to speak and lead worship on the church camp.
He was great, his message really speaking to where I'm at and how I feel but the real impact when he interrupted his message to ask a young girl sitting at the back who she was and who she belonged to?
Without turning around and before she could answer I knew it was Favouite Daughter and I started to cry! It's been happening a bit recently, mostly in a good way!
At the end of the service he called us both out to the front and he and the whole church prayed for us and it was wonderful, to be totally surrounded by people expressing love and support and encouragement and I cried a lot, even more when a man I didn't know spoke to me and began to speak words to me from God that were so accurate and significant to my journey and state of mind that I was overwhelmed. It was like a gentle touch from God that just washed over me, bringing both cleansing and healing at the same time. I hadn't expected it and wasn't prepared for it but the whole experience was both powerful and reassuring and a reminder of his love for me.
The follow-up came this morning when I shared the story of my ticket to the Grand Final and how much it had blessed me and confirmed to me that God knows me intimately and just like the scripture says, gave me the desire of my heart as a sign of his love and kindness, in spite of the distance I felt in my relationship with him and the dark and difficult road I've been on spiritually mentally and emotionally for the last year or thereabouts.
Of course there were more tears, and not just mine, and many people said afterwards how much they'd appreciated hearing my story and sharing in my joy and blessing.
(I haven't fully blogged the details of my Grand Final ticket yet but trust me when I tell you there were unexpected twists and turns and miracles personally given to me!!)
It was the trigger for a renewal of my faith and the start of a change in my heart and feelings towards God which have been dry and barren for quite a while.
I hope Ronand Melissa like the paintings, they had already returned to Perth before I'd finished them; one of the team is delivering the paintings to both of them on my behalf.
I really like both pictures but can also say that I received far more than them in this exchange of gifts, these are just small tokens of my gratitude.
3 comments:
"raise Him from all whom all blessings flow!"
Love mum
forgive the typing error, please.
Tears are just the baptism of a new understanding. The empty feeling that sometimes comes afterwards is just space made from letting go of the old and waiting to be filled with the spirit of God.
I see a resemblance between the painting in the last post and the masterpiece you gave me as well. Now on top of (not in!) the fireplace in my lounge.
Happy Birthday Jordan!
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