Category: art

Emptying Myself

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Catholic Faith, Catholic Journey, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creative expression, sketching

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

I had a hard time grasping the statement “the mysteries of God”.

It was not something I could measure, analyze or break down into recognizable components. I could not decipher something that was out there in the ethers.

I even recalling asking my confessor, “How do I move from the head to the heart?” He replied, “Pray!” Praying for the grace to understand was what I did!

Hunger Pain

Moving from the mind to the heart took time for me. I prayerfully asked the Holy Spirit to guide me. Then finally, it all came together, and I was able to grasp the mysteries – I was able to understand not in my head space, but feel it deep within me.

In retrospect, my being able to comprehend the mysteries of God was part of my own growth, trust, and deeper relationship with Christ. I also came to the understand that my journey with Jesus was not only getting to know him, to draw near to him and love him more, but to hear his call – which meant knowing Jesus through his words – the scripture – and knowing him more intimately from within.

These sketches represent my process of breaking away from the structure of figurative drawings and trusting my heart and feelings. There is a freedom in working intrinsically – imagining my body as a landscape – moving from my headspace (figurative /the body/structure) to create outside the box.

The mysteries of faith is similar- letting go of seeing the world from my head and moving to my heart – emptying out all of my ego, all my intentions and preconceptions to let the Holy Spirit fill me up.

New Life

Praise be to God!

Blessings💖

God is Love

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creativity, God, inspiration
“God is Love” (1 John 4:8)

There is a wonderful simplicity in this statement, that it is easy to miss the essence and profoundness of this message. How do I imagine or even grasp visually, intellectually or even emotionally not only who God is, but what does the phrase – “God is love” mean?

God’s love for me, you and each of us, can be found in the very first verse in the first book of the Bible:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit[c] of God was moving over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

When I really think about it, God the holy immortal one, did not have to create the world and humanity. He did. He created all out of love. It’s really profoundly simple: “God is Love.”

I can see him in the sky and in the soft fluffy clouds over yonder, and I can see him in the children playing in the park. I can hear God in the birds chirping and tweeting at the first ray of light. God is in the grass beneath my feet as I play catch with my dog. I see him in the ants crawling around their ant mound, or I see him in the trees that stretch outwards reaching out for the sun. I see him in the house plants that adorn my home, and in the seedlings and their sprouting stems as they lean towards the light. I see God’s presence everywhere, and I feel him with every changing tide and nuances in the movement of the moon as day change into night.

God is everywhere – and all the beauty around us is a testament of his everlasting love for us. He is in the beauty in each of us, in our children, in our community, in the our own outpouring of love for others.

Created in Your Likeness (Mixed Media, May 2022)

Just as God is love, we are created in “imago Dei” – image of God. We in turn share in the beauty of life – in the creation of life in the womb. I had drawn and painted this earlier this week. After looking at it for the past few days, there is even beauty in it’s messy playfulness of color and scrawls.

God Bless 💖

Finding My Quiet Space

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creative expression, creativity, Healing, sketching, watercolours

Having my own quiet time is an important part of my daily walk with Jesus. The pass several weeks, this includes time to draw, sketch or paint. Today, I imagined what my quiet and private space looks like.

Jesus often spent time alone with his Father:

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

In my busy world trying to keep up my mom face, keeping positive, and, juggle all facets of daily life, I don’t allow myself the time to be think, reflect, be sad, down, or even depressed. These days, I take some time and do exactly that – allowing myself to say – I don’t feel too happy today. I feel achy and my joints hurt. I’m feeling sad! Time to cry! Taking ownership of these negative feelings allows me to own it and give them up to Jesus.

Sketch
Larger drawing
“Finding my quiet space to create.”

Yup, there is time spend on prayer, in reading the scripture, but time spent owning the “bad, good and the ugly”,” and giving it up to Christ gives me a sense of release and peace.

God Bless🙏💖

Sharing the Light of Jesus

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creative expression, creativity, inspiration, Jesus, sketching, watercolours

Mary Magdalene loved Jesus. When Jesus casted out all the demons from her life, she was healed and began a new life:

“Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. There Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out…” Luke 8:1-2

I can imagine how difficult her life must have been before she met Jesus. Due to her psychological mind frame, she must have been scorned by all, and probably lived in isolation.

Her sadness upon discovering Jesus’ body gone must have distressed her, and seeing Christ, I can imagine her running to him and holding Him tightly in an embrace.

Jesus asks, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

His wounds fresh, Jesus tells her, “Stop holding on to me.” Jesus had not ascended yet. He gives Mary Magdalene a mission.

My question to myself is, “What mission does Jesus give me?”

How do I feel about the resurrected Christ? How has it changed my life?

As part of my Art Therapy session today, I was asked, “how would I imagine myself as a landscape?” My thoughts drifted to Mary Magdalene, her search for Jesus when she thought He was gone, and then running off to share the good news. I closed my eyes and imagine my arms outstretched embracing the world sharing the light of Christ.

Sketch and painting: How do I imagine myself as a landscape? April 19, 2021
Sharing The Light of Christ

Gospel Jn 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

God Bless 💖

A Stronger Me

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Bible, Catholic Faith, Catholic Journey, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creative expression, creativity, Faith, inspiration, Jesus, Poetry, Poetry/Lyric, Praise, Spirituality
Ephesians 2:4-10

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

A stronger me in my own existence

Above drawing is from my series on “a stronger me in my own existence”.

Meditation:

How did I get here?

I got lost in my journey

cold and dark

my deadpan eyes looked for You.

i was lifeless, but

Your hands reached out for mine and held them

my body felt the tingling flow of your warmth

Your love

You pulled me into your embrace.

Just as i am

dirty and soiled

Your healing touch

my soul refreshed

You showed me a glowing orb

Mesmerized, I held it in my hands

lifting it up high

together in the dark

we walk the road ahead

Thoughts:

The beauty of God’s mercy is in His abundant love for us. Where we were once tainted by our brokenness – our sins, by God’s grace, we have been saved by faith. What a wonderful gift He gives us.

Praising God

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in art, Catholic Journey, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, creative expression, creativity, Faith, inspiration, Lifestyle, My journey with Jesus, Personal Reflection, Praise, Relationship, sketching, Testimony, watercolours

Almighty God, I lift up my hands praise!

I’m embarrassed to show my watercolours, as they are often quick ink sketches. They are like journal entries, expressing of my thoughts about Jesus and my relationship with Him.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him. And he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

They are also about finding hope in Christ in our lost humanity. His Salvation and Glory is free. All we need to do is accept it as Zaccheus (Luke 19: 1-10) did.

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, The Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 4:8
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34

Jesus died for the mankind’s original sin (The Fall of Man in Genesis 3) so that we may be redeemed if we believe in Him. When I think about His death on the cross, I am thankful that an unworthy sinner like me can be forgiven all my sins. I thank God for letting me draw closer to Him.

In return I send praises to my Almighty God, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit for giving me the gift of faith. I, in turn, share my faith with all of you.

That each of you find the time to pray and draw into a closer relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless.