Jeremiah 17: 7-8 Spirit illustration

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

^"[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord,

 and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit."

 

Above 1: After Sharpie doodle

Above 2: After colored pencil shading and highlighting

 

Usually I get ideas by being inspired by music, quotes, my surroundings, or other artists work. 

I was very inspired by this Del Barber poster I found online...

I loved the layers of the subdued colors stacked together with the texture defining brown lines on all the objects. I was fascinated by the way they exposed the layers of dirt below to show the roots and it reminded me of how we should root ourselves in Christ... or we will be fearful & fruitless.

So, I used the verse in Jeremiah for my Biblical Inspiration.

 

As an art teacher, I just got done teaching my students about Paper Cut-Out method done by Henri Matisse. So, I decided to use the paper cut out to get the layers I wanted of the background paper to doodle on top of. 

I started with manilla for my foreground (tree trunk and dirt), 

then brown (leaves, nest, grass, and roots), 

pink (bird and fruit),

baby blue (water), 

and finally sage green (background sky). 

You can see some of the Matisse lessons we did here if desired on my LostSock Art Teacher Blog...

http://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2014/04/matisse-inspired-lessons.html

After I glued down the paper cut-outs, I then used Sharpies (brown, green, and rasperry) to doodle the texture on each part. After the doodle, I used colored pencils to add shading and highlights to the landscape. For the final step, I used this iridescent paper that I have been hording since childhood to cut a piece just right to layer over my water. 

I enjoyed this process so much I am planning on making more in the very near future!

Now you can too!

Light & Salvation by Tabitha Seaton

I cannot get rid of this image in my head the last week. It is of a strong bold and colorful flower growing toward the sun. It gravitates towards the source of it's strength as if it is only think that matters. Although the other flowers around it are growing a different way, it is not concerned with it's surroundings. The only thing that matters in this landscape is that the flower and "Son" are one. They are beyond the physical realm and exist in the spirit. The "Son" is the Light where the flower is drawn to for strength and the blood is the nourishing Salvation.

Since my life has been drastically changed by circumstance, I feel as though I am this flower. Hard rains may beat me down here, but it's moisture makes me stronger. I am aware there is a season for all things in order to make His will work. In the seasons of storms, I learn to lean on a higher power beyond my own. I am here on earth, knowing it is His plan for me... But my gaze is upward, my heart is His, my hope is Heaven, and my desire to to point others to Him. The more I grow towards the Spirit, the more the things around me become only silhouettes on the horizon. My gaze is higher as I gain a new perspective.

 

 I used the same image here in a lesson example for my students 

while studying Henri Matisse's paper cut out methods.

 

Read more about Matisse Paper Cut-outs here...

 http://thelostsocklife.blogspot.com/2014/04/matisse-paper-cut-outs.html

and how to teach the technique to students here..

http://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2014/04/matisse-inspired-lessons.html

Matisse Paper Cut-Outs

Matisse was an artist who's life was full of mistakes. He selfishly drug his family through hardships in order to fulfill his dream. He was an artwork-aholic, putting his art before his family his entire life. Not until he discovered himself old, sick, and alone does he realize what love really was... Sacrifice. 

Despite his selfishness, I have to admire his guts to produce art that was different than any other in his time. And when he did finally come to the end, despite his immobility and loneliness, he grabbed onto the only thing he had left. He took his God given talent and creatively stayed head above water in his fight for life. When he could not stand up to paint, he laid down to cut! This is when his masterpiece cut-outs were born... In the pit of pain & loneliness came an artistic force of life. He let his art be his last breath. 

I teach my students at school about Master Matisse and introduce them to the method of paper cut-outs. 

As they cut, I do too! 

Intricacy & Purity

Bright  white light robed in a rainbow of color

I love You like no other

Your light fills me with intricacy

And Your blood turns me to purity. 

My limbs gravitate to your radiating beams

My stem growing strength from it's glowing beams.

All others are dying silhouettes on the horizon behind

My life I will never hope to rewind

But grow closer to the eternal finish

Where my spirit will cease to diminish. 

In the shadow of your sacrifice I stand

To your cross I will lift my empty hand.

As light beams of color project from your graven post, 

In this crucifixion cross I mysteriously feel life the most. 

Somehow, In your spirit and invisibility

Is mysteriously the height of all I see. 

For in this casted shadow there is no shame

After tasting your love I will never be the same

In Your shadow there is no dark rigid cold

For in its stretch over this land is where my love has been sold. 

For you bought my spirit with a limitless price

I've lived in darkness and will never go twice. 

For only a fool would walk back to that place

My life of dark shame you have now erased. 

Cup of Sand

Drip doubt drip doubt

Like slow trickle from a water spout.

Searching outside for my thirst to be soothed

But there's no thing that will make my fever smoothed.

My melting ego needs some relief

A compliment sincere enough to believe.

I could search every crevice of this land

To find no water... Only sand.

I'll fill my cup with its grains and take it in

Only to result in a stronger quench within. 

Each sip bringing me closer to death

Drying my lungs as I struggle for a breath...

I close my eyes and drop the cup I clenched

To find a love inside that is sure to drench.

It's always there when all else fails

After I've searched all other dry dead trails.

My compass core always brings my back to You

My overflowing water cup and North so true. 

Why do I get lost so easily so steered astray

When You've proven me time & time the only true way. 

You love this girl who is lost & dizzy from her selfish circling

Always falling tired and thirsty from the vain dance she's swirling. 

You catch me in Your arms so strong

And love me all my journey long. 

Thank You for Your merciful patience with me

For You are my greatest love J.C.

Tabitha Seaton

spirit doodles... medicine for my soul.

 

My art for the last 6 years has been funneled from my soul.

It was the Summer's end of 2008 when something changed...

Just like Sara Groves sings about.

See her sing it here on YouTube, "Something Changed"

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aZ6C1S8K-s

Since then...

Whatever I live, think, feel, absorb, learn, believe, experience, or need emphasized in my life is what comes out of my hand and onto the emptiness. If I keep all these things in, it can be dangerous to me in many ways; spiritually, emotional, mentally, and physically. If I go too long without letting it out, I go crazy. Art is my way of letting go of things needed to be let go of, sharing what needs to be shared, putting things behind me that I cannot carry any more, or today... it is more of my preaching to myself. 

Over and over and over again I am learning that living in Christ means living for the day at hand. I always thought planning, saving, worrying over what is next was a mature perspective. 

But I am not sure where I learned that from. God is continually calling me in life to NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW! Sit and be still in where you are now and BRING TO ME ALL YOU ARE BURDENED WITH.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 

Philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Matthew 6:33-34

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:27
"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

 

I have been going crazy here the last 2 weeks working on projects that were good, but not from my heart. God has been calling me to work with Him creatively so that He could once again flood me with His peace. Creating for my Heavenly Father is one way I worship. It is a connection that brings Heaven down to the very place I sit to create. I sat today not knowing what to create... God searched my heart to the core of my fears inside. He pulled them out and showed them to me giving me a new perspective on His word and Promises. 

I do not know where my life is going, not sure at all where I will be or what I will be doing months from now. I know God is stirring in my life and that there is a change on the horizon. I have to trust Him daily to show me His way. Fear takes over every so often and He pulls me back into His strong but gentle grip of peace reassuring me that He has me in His Hand... And is NEVER letting go.

SO, I will move on in my day looking for Him and what He plants in my path. I will tune my ear to His voice following like a lost lamb. For I am His child and He is my Father, I am his little lamb and He is my good shepherd.

Jesus Calling - 

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

By Sarah Young 

day March 29th 

After I sat to write this post, I decided to do my daily exercise at the trails of the Mineola nature preserve insteD of the usual gym. 

I have been walking on the same trail since July when my husband & best friend of 10 years, Shannon, passed. Each time I walked, I would go a little further and gain more courage on the trails. I would pass the "wiggly bridge" (my daughter Maisy calls it) every hike but it was always roped off with DANGER tape. I always wanted to walk it and was continually curious if it would be fixed or not... 

Well... 

Today was the day! As I got closer a fear came over me. I studied it close thinking maybe kids just tore off the tape and it was still really "dangerous". I felt like Peter walking on the water as I slowly footed my way a few feet and turned back in fear. I wondered if God really wanted me to do it. As I wondered I saw little white butterfly float it's way across the bridge as if it was telling me it was safe...

So... I DID IT! 

Finally I walked the wiggly bridge! 

I can't help but feel it as symbolic of coming into a new trust in my life. Letting the old go, walking on wiggly wood across a swamp, while looking ahead into the eyes of my Savior as he whispers, 

"It's ok my child, you're safe."

I will follow Him wherever He leads without looking back. Faith has brought me this far, I'd be a fool not to follow. 

Illustrations of the Heart...

I often get inspired after worship at church while sitting and listening to the sermon. My mind's wheels start spinning, producing ideas, hands scribbling all over my paper program in all open spaces, inspired by the Spirit to help others understand how it feels to feel God's love the way I do. Being a Christian is about being set apart from what the world gives. 

In these two pictures, I am showing that when you move with the Maker, you are moving differently than the rest of the world. Things that we do and roads that we walk down may seem crazy to people that are not of the Faith. In the eyes of the world, it doesn't make sense. Honestly, to the Christian.. it doesn't either! That is where trust plays a part. We walk by faith, not by sight. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 

I will never forget the scene from Indian Jones Holy Grain Leap of Faith...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK8vtwhy_JY

Of course it feels crazy to walk blind-folded a path that you cannot see, but in the grand scheme of things.. it is what we see that is temporary and what we do not see that is eternal! 

2 Corinthians 4:18

We are instructed by Christ to NOT FOLLOW the world, but to rise above it.

That is the only way to gain a good perspective of what HIS will is in our lives, to look from His eyes above our bodies (my interpretation)...

Romans 12:2

 

DIFFERENT DRUMMER

by Tabitha Seaton

It's so easy to tap your feet to the beat of a song. Sometimes we follow a song that we don't even understand the words to! That's what the world does. It makes you want to join into the beat, to follow along. We have to be careful not to get carried away by the beat of the world... 

We have to follow the beat and voice of our Shepard and get out of trances of the World. 

Because this world once belonged to Satan... he became the "prince of this world" when he fell from Heaven as an angel of the Lord! John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11

 

TREASURES AT HIS FEET

by Tabitha Seaton

My poem...

All pride aside

no treasure will I hide.

I give it all to you

the only value true. 

All my trophies I lay at your feet

knowing with your love I've won final defeat.

This world holds no value in my heart

your love cherished is my core's deepest part.

I've won the greatest prize

 when I saw true sacrifice in your eyes.

All I win here will be fore your Glory, 

so that my life will shine light onYour story.

Matthew 6:19 Tells is to not store up for ourselves earthly treasures. These things will be destroyed by rust or stolen by thieves in the end. Our true treasure is in the promise that we will be able to enter the Kingdom as children of the King forever and ever. Not because we earned enough trophies, accumulated enough gold, or sat high on a throne here on earth... but because of what HE did and the price HE paid on the cross that will buy our pass into Heaven. Our earthly wealth will have nothing to do with our Heavenly wealth... it actually may have the reverse effect since dependance on money tends to lead to independence from Christ. Matthew 19:24 say that is is harder for a rich man to make it to Heaven just as it is hard for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle. 

Matthew 6:24 also states that if you worship money you cannot worship Him. 

If you try to worship both, you will in turn hate one and love the other. You cannot love God and Money at the same time. 

So, if not money, whatever you rely on that gives you pride... Lay it Down at His feet. 

Make what you do best for His glory, not your own. Be willing to let it all go and let this world see Him through you. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Says that in all we do (eating, drinking, moving) we should do for others above ourselves to reveal God's glory. It is all for HIM, not ourselves. Since He is in us, we desire to lift others up above ourselves since it is His greatest commandment.

In His Hand...

God gives us family, friends, children, and people of faith to give us a new perspective & help guide us through our walk with Him. I am more than ever now desiring to walk closely to my Heavenly Father because His Hand has proven present in how far I have come! I want more than my own breathe to make every move in His will. I am stronger now than I have been in my faith walk, but in my circumstances I am extremely weak an vulnerable. So my everyday prayer is for Christ to give me His perspective and discernment as I step forward in this mysterious journey of a young widow and single mother of faith.

 Almost 8 months ago, my 35 year old husband & BFF, Shannon, of 10 years suddenly went to his eternal home and left behind a family that has to learn daily to survive without his presence. Old Relationships take a new confusing definition and time will only reveal their new structures. Times bring changes that were not wanted, but faith brings courage to take these changes and we continually find new life through what has died. Through our grief and despite our weakness, we grasp even stronger to the One that is solid and unchanging... Christ. 

About 5 months ago, God have me a vision of a caterpillar in a pupa and revealed to me that this was my state He desired for my present to prepare me for what was to come. I wrote a post about it here if you desire to read it...

thelostsocklife.blogspot.com/2013/09/wrapped-in-stillness-of-him.html

Maisy created this during her free time in  Sunday School as a surprise for me, not knowing the vision God had given me a week or so before...

Maisy created this months later during church service... 

God showed me that this vision He gave me was real by using those around me to confirm it. My daughter maisy, 6 years old, created these drawings above in church to give me much peace on confirmation of the vision. 

As I went through a metamorphosis, I began to grow stronger in dependence upon Him only. I also learned what elements if my life needed some weeding & pruning. See blog post here....

Through this walk (and still today) I craved to be in His presence in the wide open. When i am alone in the Secret place, i feel His presence. A place I like to run to and retreat in order to meditate is to the Mineola Nature  Preserve. It is so big and grand that it makes me feel so small and humble. I feel Him all around!

A lot of tourists go there because of their curiosity of BigFoot, but I go there because serenity of the BigHand ;)

After all the times of going to the preserve to pray, draw, walk, and think... I never realized that I was literally in the "Palm of God's Hand"! 

This is a view of the area where I often sit at the park to draw out what God has laid on my heart to create. This is my way to release cathartically what I have inside to share with others around me , or sometimes just for me and Him. 

I took a special new artist friend here on a trip months ago, to share with Him how I like to be in the panarama of the earth to feel His presence when I create. We were all set to draw with pencils, charcoal, and sketch pads... Looking in and around , just Waiting on inspiration. As I looked within me, he looked outside of himself at what was around us both. As I curiously sat to see what he would draw, I found that he had a special observing eye for the external that I was myself was lacking. As we both looked out onto these rows of marsh below us, he saw something amazing...The Hand of God! 

       "God's Hand" by Todd Morgan

So, that is what he drew! I love it... God truly does bring friends to us to widen our perspective & show us things we would not have seen on our own! Sometimes these things are right in front of our face just waiting to be noticed!

Through these months in between I was wiggling out of my spiritual pupa, but unsure of the safety to come out. Was God done remaking me? Were my new wings strong enough to go higher? We're new eyes prepared enough to see the light again?

 I prayed for a sign of whether or not I was strong enough & ready to move on from the pain and loss of my husband from 7 months earlier. God has been singing lullabies to me in my state and I had grown very comfortable there in the spiritual routine of my life. My Nights had gone from dark and lonely to calm and comfortable knowing I was resting in His loving winged embrace in the stillness of my pupa of peace. His shadow has no darkness! 

Although I had grown comfortable into this place, I knew it was not God's will for me to stay forever. God had bigger plans for me that required me to fly... And He was almost done nursing me back to health. So, I began to pray and wait for God to show me the right time to move forward & let go of the painful past... There was light on the horizon and I glimpsed the sliver of it's glimmer and felt the warmth of it's light!

Months after this eye-opening artistic adventure with my new friend and prayers for His gentle nudge to flutter forward, my wiser & older sister, Debby shared with me a vision God had given her for me. She said that she awoke late one night to seeing me sitting on my regular spot at the nature preserve with my art tools at hand. I was looking within and waiting for inspiration to begin drawing. I looked out at the windmill, a symbol of a physical object powered by something invisible (faith) and watched a butterfly fluttering in the distance (my metamorphic state). Still, seeing these things I continued looking deeper within for inspiration. As I continued searching for it to come, the butterfly came closer and began to flutter in my face and make me smile, laugh and be happy! God had put my inspiration there in the physical and I was still looking inside! I had to change my perspective to see what He was trying to show me! I was ready to make my move, draw my mark on the empty white page that laid at my hand. No more waiting for His nudge... He was dangling my happiness right there in front of me and I was too busy with my head in the clouds over-analyzing and being introverted (how my spaghetti brain works!)

So, I know God is lovingly pushing me from my comfortable nest to spread my widow wings and search the wide open world for His Greater Plan! 

On this beautiful day I am blessed to get away once again to my special spot of peace, God's Hand at the Mineola Nature Preserve! My girls are at their Graham's house and Spring is in the warm windy air. I'm pulling back my hair and putting on my shorts to go have my time with my main man, my J.C., my Heavenly Father, the Prince of my Peace, my Healer, my Everything... Jesus!

Packing up my prayer shawl and daily devotional to meditate and pray for God to clear the way...

Ponder face... 

Besides the Bible, this is THE BEST book I have ever read in all my walk. It guides me though my grief and into His presence day by day. It's always right on key with exactly what I need! 

Sitting here inside His palm the view is different. I am sitting by the pinky of His left hand, probably the weakest finger on the weakest hand... But His strength is ever present in my weakness. 

His peace with you on your journey. Thank you Lord for giving me friends and family to share their perspective with love & without judgement. May I always learn to take these nuggets of truth to You, My Heavenly Father, to give me the weight and value of the words. May I focus on my blessings more than my problems, and your strength more than my fears. For your left pinky holds more power than this world could ever ponder... In Your Son Jesus's  Holy Name, Amen.