The Painting

Okay so wow! If you read back a few blogs you read read about a challenge that Jesus gave, and that challenge was to paint a blindfolded painting. Talk about oiy! Ahhhhh! Honestly if I would have know how hard it was going to be and the feelings that were about to be invoked I am not sure if I would have tired to paint blindfolded. However I can say that I am thankful I do not always know how everything turns out otherwise I may miss out on the journey and living life. Seriously if you like to paint and you have never painted blindfolded try it and see how easily and readily you are able to give up control and trust God to guide every stroke. Try it even if you don't like to paint. You will be amazed at one of two things; either how easy it was for you or in my case how hard it was for me.

The painting you see here is actually the second painting. The first one I peeked and corrected about 50% of the time. The picture was of a broken clock, which has a lot of meaning for me also, however that is for another post. This painting came about due to my great frustration at not being able to get it right and to just let go and trust Jesus, and the truth be told I peeked and corrected about 20% of the time with this one. To be honest this is going to be a journey for me. There are many more paintings to come. I am finding every day is a journey in trusting and giving control to Jesus, something I do not to easily do. In John 21:18 Jesus says to Peter "I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Letting go of control and trusting Jesus is the hardest thing I know that I will ever do because in essence it is saying I surrender. When you are a fighter like me surrender, even when you know you cannot win is impossible. I would prefer to fight to the death then surrender my will, and what I want.

This painting is more than just a reminder of my need to surrender control to Jesus. It is a representation that when it feels the darkest in my life Jesus is there, and darkness to Jesus is light. Psalm 139:12 " Even darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you." When we are in the midst of our darkest struggles Jesus is there holding us. Jesus is there even when we cannot see Him, and he is definitely not afraid of the dark. We may be afraid to go and enter into the dark places, but Jesus isn't. For anyone reading, if I would have chosen a word to write in the light I would have picked failure, because I was unable to give 100% control to Jesus, and as I listened and painted one last word in amidst all the other lies that word was the truth in the light. Jesus reminded me that I am His beloved. When I lifted up the blindfold to yet again peek tears came to my eyes because of where Jesus guided my hand and brush. The truth in among all the lies is I am a beloved daughter of God.

Blessing to you all,

Leanne

Happy Easter!!!!

Well is it Easter Sunday and I am taking a few moments to relax before my family arrives and we have an Easter Sunday Supper. This is the first time I have cooked an Easter dinner. Normally my mom has always cooked it, however since we are shipping birds this evening we could not go to Kamloops for Easter so my mom, Jocelyn (my sister), Chris (sister's fiance), and Jill (my cousin) are at my house.

Instead of cooking a turkey I am roasting two chickens. I hope they turn out! Chinese anyone!?!?!?!?! Just kidding. I will admit that it is a little strange being the one to have her family at her house. I guess that is what happens when you get married. All of a sudden you start to fo grown up things. Or at least the things you do start to fell like they are grown up things. I lived on my own for 3 and a bit years and I never had my family over for the holidays. I always went home! Oh well, the truth is that having a family dinner is not the meaning of Easter.

Easter is all about what Jesus did for me, and for the rest of the world when he gave his life so that we all could have life. As I was sitting in church today I briefly pondered the last year. So much has happened and it has been a crazy year. Some wonderfully amazing moments such has getting married. Then there were some very dark moments when I thought the light as never going to reappear The truth be know however that because of Jesus love for me even the darkest moments are full of light and hope. This year has been an adventure full of twists and turns and the journey is only beginning. God's sacrifice and ulimate victory have made this journey possible.

Well back to cooking. Oiy! I never thought that I would say that! Happy Easter everyone!

Blessings, Leanne

Painting Blindfoled

Have you ever tried to paint blindfolded before? I have never tried to paint blindfolded before, however in the very near future I will be taking on this task. I'll be honest, I am a little scared about this. I am used to doing everything the best that I can and painting a picture blindfolded can be challenging. Yet I am going to do it out of obedience to God. Actually I am going to more than paintfold the painting blind. I was asked by Jesus to trust him to paint it and to guide my every stroke. Talk about a lesson in giving up control. I will take a picture after it is done and post it on the blog.

I have been down at that Coast (Abbotsford/Vancouver) for the past few days. I spent the last two days of my trip with my best friend Marie. She has a beautiful baby boy name Josiah who is in BC Children's Hospital. He was born 5 weeks early and is having trouble breathing on his own. It is going to take God doing a miracle for Josiah to breathe. The cool part is that God can and will heal Josiah, so we are all clinging to that faith and hope in God and his goodness. as I was driving home this afternoon I listened to a song called "You are Good" one of the lines says
"even when the storms start to sweel all around, You are good!" This is so true, and yet the hardest thing to be able to say when you are watching someone you love and care about hurt so much. Needless to say I am totally wiped now that I am home, and I should be in bed however I am feelng ill so I decided to get out of bed and putter around the house.

I think though now I am going to take some time to sit still and reflect with Jesus for a while. He hasa done some pretty amazing stuff in my life, and today on Good Friday that anniversary of the day He died so many years ago it is important to spend some time reflecting, or at least that is how I feel.

Blessings, Leanne