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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

WOYWW: Your Saving Deed

 It is 4 in the morning and this is what's on my desk.
We are leaving for the beach, where we will spend the New Year holidays,
and I am packing all my paints and brushes, etc. to bring.

 "My eyes have seen your saving deed..." Luke 2:30

 Yesterday the gospel reading was about Simeon, a man who was righteous and devout. He was waiting in hope and confidence to see the Lord. It is not only to Simeon that God has promised to show His face. God wants to reveal Himself to each one of us, that is why He came in the form of a baby, and why He left us all His teachings. In Ezekiel 39:29, God said He would not hide His face from us any longer, for He has poured out His Spirit upon us, His people. Lord, like Simeon, I wait in anticipation! Every day, You want to show me Your face, Your goodness, Your peace, Your faithfulness!

Last Monday, we visited our papemelroti branch in
UP Town Center, and I was pleasantly surprised to see
my son's profile in one of our posters.

 Elyse, my niece, designed it.
The picture was taken during our visit to
my husband's hometown of Coron.
This is the view outside of Kiangan Lake.
It was breathtaking!




Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 
peek at desks and projects!

I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:

Blessings!
Patsy
at 21 comments:

Monday, December 28, 2015

Dedicate Yourself to Thankfulness!

Here is how I started with my painting yesterday.

 I then traced my drawing on to my prepared background with 
carbon paper.

 Then I start by painting the face.
I never know what my painting will look like!
I am always surprised!!

 "Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness..." Colossians 3:15
My New year's resolution is to smile more and be more grateful. As I've grown older, I've noticed that I frown a lot! I have this friend who likes taking pictures, and he always manages to catch me with a frown on my face! Maybe because I have more concerns, especially since my mom died three years ago. Although I manage to thank God for my blessings, and write them down in my journal, I do believe that I cannot be thankful enough! 

 In Philippians 4:8, we read, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

 I have to CHOOSE to think about what I am grateful for, instead of what I am unhappy or frustrated about, what I want changed, what I can't do anything about! If I choose this, my thoughts will become my actions (I will smile more!!!), my actions will become a habit, and this will be my destiny- to be a person so grateful and thankful, nothing can faze me!

 "Herod ordered the massacre of all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its environs, making his calculations on the basis of the date he had learned from the astrologers." Matthew 3:16
Herod was an extremely evil man, deranged even. He killed his favorite wife, her mother and several of his sons. A non-Christian writer, Macrobius, quipped that when Emperor Augustus heard that among the boys in Syria under two years old whom Herod, king of the Jews, had ordered to kill, his own son was also killed, he said: "It is better to be Herod's pig, than his son." He was so paranoid that someone would take away his throne that he would get rid of uncles, cousins, rabbis by burning them alive! What sort of a man would use his intellect, as he made "calculations on the basis of the date learned from the astrologers"?

 I can imagine how he could not sleep at night as he came up with his devious plots and schemes! But it was all for naught, wasn't it? We do not know where Herod is now, for all the power he wielded against his so called enemies. And the King he tried to destroy reigns and will continue to reign!

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Friday, December 25, 2015

Paint Party Friday: Merry Christmas!

 I like making backgrounds. 
It makes me feel like a kid!

 Here I am starting to paint Mary and Jesus on to my background. 

 "The light shines in the darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it." John 1:8

In the liturgical year of the Catholic church, we begin the Christmas season today, which will continue until January 10, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. 

We celebrate the light, Jesus, that shines in the darkness that engulfs this world. We cannot deny the darkness. we see it in every newspaper, we hear it when we listen to CNN, we are even witnesses to it in our cities. But 2,000 years ago, God became man to dwell among us, to give us fullness of life, and nothing can change that. Not terrorists who threaten our peace, not cancer or any life threatening disease, not irrational politicians, not the plunging economy, not an earthquake or a hurricane or a comet coming straight for us. Of the fullness of life 

He came to give us, we can have a share. Let us approach the Gift-giver today for that is what He desires to give us! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus come! 

A blessed Christmas to you my blog friends!

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patsy
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

WOYWW: Christmas in my Heart!

 I've been enjoying making backgrounds
and last night I had to spread them out to dry them.

 Here is the other side of my table.
More backgrounds.

 Here is one of them, 
and I decided to show you what I do with them.

 First i draw a design of flowers and leaves with pencil.
Then I paint the background.

 I used a dark blue green acrylic paint here,
but I also like to use white
and that creates a whole different effect.

 Finished the background.

 Here I am using a really fine brush to make 
fine lines for the veins on the leaves.

 "Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths..." Psalm 25:4

 2 more days, just 2 more days! 2 more days not to miss Christmas! Although the signs and colors and sounds of Christmas are all around me, I may yet miss Christmas! I may miss it like the innkeeper who was so busy and preoccupied with his inn that had no vacancy. Even if he gave Mary and Joseph the stable, he could have made sure they were comfortable! He could have left his more prosperous guests to ask if they needed anything, food, water, blankets, a fire... I may miss Christmas if I am so busy with our business and selling during this most profitable time of the year, if I forget the people God loves, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, forget to SEE them and what they need.  

I may miss Christmas because I am so familiar with the story. I grew up singing the same carols. We have all the symbols. We have the lights but are we still in the dark, missing the message, missing the birthday celebrant? We have wrapped gifts for every one on our list, but have we missed the greatest gift of all? I heard someone say, "I'm more excited about Star Wars than about Christmas!" I thought that was very sad but I did not know what to say! Truly Lord, it is so easy to miss Christmas during this busy time of the year. Speak to me Lord, teach me your ways. Help me to be quiet and listen. May I walk the path to your manger, and keep Christmas in my heart all year! 



Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 
peek at desks and projects!

I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:

Blessings!
Patsy
at 11 comments: