God does not have an address

 

Sketch - Port Au Prince Haiti 

 As I sketched this I was reminded that God does not have an address.  He is not limited by borders, governments, or curfews.  He exists equally in castles and back alleys.  It is sometime easy to put God in a box, associate him with Sunday and the church.   God can not be contained or constrained.  His desire to be with us is so strong that he gave his only son (Jesus) as a sacrifice.  Jesus, in one selfless act, took on all our sin, past and present, so that we could be forgiven.  My prayer today is that I would not squander that gift, that I would be sensitive to Gods calling in my life,  and that I would be a willing tool yielded in his hand. 

John 3:16-18 (ESV)

For God So Loved the World

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Psalm 92

 

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³ They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green,
¹⁵ to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Grand Goave Haiti

Southwest of Port au Prince is a small town know as Grand Goave.  It is a unique place where the hill country meets the beaches of the Caribbean.  The feel is rural countryside where goats and cattle are tethered along the roadside to browse on lush grasses.  The beaches are shell covered and quite.  Fishermen can be scene paddling dugout canoes,  setting and checking their lobster traps.

  The day I visited was slightly overcast and very warm.  The water was inviting and the reefs were loaded with tropical fish.  Fresh fruit and vegetables were displayed at roadside markets.  It is hard to believe it is a short 1-hour drive from the hustle and bustle of Port au Prince.  The feel of the place and the day was peaceful and reminded me of Galatians 5:22-26

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentlenesses, self-control; against such things, there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

I love the imagery in the bible.  Take the below verse.  It begins, Consider the ravens.  Right away my brain begins to conjure  up images of ravens.  They are really interesting birds that have mastered living in some of the most extreme environments.  I have seen them high in the mountains of Oregon soaring through blizzard conditions, and in the scorching deserts of Arizona.  In fact they live throughout major portions of North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and in all terrestrial biomes except tropical rain forests.  So I reflect and consider the raven, then I read the rest of the verse.  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!.  How much time do I waste worrying about tomorrow?  My prayer today is that I would trust more in God's plan than my own. 

Luke 12:24

²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Port Au Prince Part II - Bondye se lanmou

While traveling around Port Au Prince I could not help but notice vivid color everywhere.  I can close my eyes and still see the art on wheels know as Tap Taps (group taxis), brightly colored homes and the paintings lining the walls of the street market.  Rather than taking photos along the way, I decided to simply soak in the sights and then attempt to sketch from memory the various scenes from my trip.  My sketches have ended up being a compilation of impressions from the many scenes that I witnessed throughout the city.   As I sketch God has reminded me of the beauty of the City and its millions that call it home.  I pray that God will continue to work mightily in Haiti, in and through the people who call it home. 

 

1 Jan 4: 7

 Bondye se lanmou

Mezanmi, se pou nou yonn renmen lòt paske renmen se nan men Bondye, e moun ki renmen Bondye te fèt nan Bondye e li konnen Bondye.

1 John 4:7

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Port Au Prince Haiti

I recently returned from a trip to Port Au Prince Haiti.  My brain is still swimming with the beautiful images of the small island country.  My friends the Reeves family graciously hosted me during my trip.  They are the current directors of Child Hope International, an organization rooted in caring for orphans and reconnecting families.   I spent the week with them and have returned home with a fresh view of Haiti and the amazingly resilient people who call it home.  The above sketch is the first in a series that I hope one day to turn into a larger painting.

Isaiah 26:1-3

A Song of Praise

26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

    God makes salvation

    its walls and ramparts.

Open the gates

    that the righteous nation may enter,

    the nation that keeps faith.

You will keep in perfect peace

    those whose minds are steadfast,

    because they trust in you.

Three times

“Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This  verse has haunted me many times.   How often have I made a promise to God and failed to deliver.  Peter  had the best intention when he answered that he would not deny Christ, but when pressed, he caved.  My prayer today is that I would stop trying, and start relying.   I pray that I would trust in the face of adversity, and that I would let go of my insecurities that tend to push me into the comfort of the shadows.  

Two are better than one

 <sup>Today I find myself very thankful for the one that God has given me as my helpmate.  My prayer is that I would not take that relationship for granted.  I pray that God will show me unique ways to show my appreciation, affection, and joy to the woman that stands with me through it all. 

 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9</sup> Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Broken Chalk Board part 2

Romans 1:19-20(ESV)

¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,^[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Roots

Roots:  what is hidden from view, supports, nourishes, and bears fruit in what is visible.  The hidden jewels of our hearts, and that which we identify and sink our roots into, will be apparent in the fruit we produce.  I pray that my roots will always be anchored in Jesus.

Question to ponder:  What are you rooted in? What is nourishing you?  

And The Chains Fell Off

  Peter was in jail, no chance for escape, then the impossible happened.  God loves to make the impossible possible.  It is through our weakness that his strength shines through.  Question to ponder: What impossible thing are you trusting God with?

Acts 12:7 (ESV)

⁷ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.  ⁸ And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.

Mark 14:62

Mark 14:62

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

thousands of tiny crosses

I sketched this tree using many tiny crosses.  It reminded me of the below verse.  
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.