7 Heads Tall

7 heads tall.......that came to my mind yesterday when I started to sketch out another painting. A term that stuck in my mind from one of my art teachers. We had to sketch a live model in class and our teacher reminded us to use the standard of "7 heads tall". This is a measurement that gives you about the right proportion of drawing the human body. Give or take a half or so....some say 8 heads tall in classes now, but they average it out and it's around 7 to 8. I kind of chuckled to myself as I had not thought of that term in quite some time, but then most of the times I am drawing old barns, jars, jugs, etc.

Then my mind wandered to another term I had heard before. "Don't miss heaven by 18 inches." The distance between our head and our heart is 18 inches. Sadly there are lots of people who use their heads only when they think or don't think there is a God. They don't have a REAL RELATIONSHIP with Him. Some say He's there.....He's lots of different things and can be how you want Him to be.  But it's just head knowledge. They don't use their heart in finding out who God really is. It's too easy to stay in your "head" and rationalize all you want to of there not being a God or could there be a God?? But what comes down to it.....is your heart. God requires us to have that personal relationship with Him....that comes from your heart, not your head. I'm not talking about being in a church or going to church or following rules and regulations....I'm talking about a RELATIONSHIP, not religion....BIG difference.

Being sketched 7 heads tall is the rule of thumb in art.....having all of your body filled with head knowledge can be great.....but God just wants your HEART. Sometimes a child finds it so easy to understand....and we adults get so full of the knowledge crap.....we may miss heaven by 18 inches.

"Then He said: I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3 CEV)

"God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7 NCV)

Shadows

I know right now that some folks are going through some "shadow times" in their life. Some have recently had to go through the shadow of death. For some it's been a shadow of debt, or shadows of conflicts. Shadow times can be depressed times, and shadow times of discouragement. You just feel you have hit a dark spot.

I remember as a kid walking home in the dark and how afraid I would feel looking off to the side of the road in between houses.....a street light or porch light might cast shadows from trees, cars and other objects, and it could be scary. Even some of us have been afraid as a kid just lying in your own bed and seeing shadows on our walls. I have to admit, you don't have to be a little kid to be afraid of certain shadows that come to you in your life.

Something I have learned though as I have gotten older.....a shadow can't hurt you and shadows are always bigger than the source it comes from. Good news is that wherever there's a shadow, there has to be a light. You can't have a shadow without the light. So remember this when you're going through a "shadow time", turn your back on the shadow and look to the light. As long as I keep my eyes on the LIGHT, and to me, Jesus is The Light of the World, then the shadow times don't scare me.

"Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” (John 8:12 CEV)

Collecting

I posted the pic of the old bottles and many people are like me….we like to COLLECT things.  I have old bottles, platters, etc.  You know I like to collect four leaf clovers.  Collections of old things are all over my house.  Ask any of my friends and family….my house is not IKEA!  Collecting sometimes hold a special memory for some or that bit of nostalgia.

We all collect some things, even if it’s not tangible things.  Some of us wish we could get rid of some of the stuff we collect.  I’m talking about collecting, regrets, un-forgiveness, anger, worries or many bad memories of things we should dump.

I do dump bad thoughts, feelings, regrets, anger and at times….I’ve found I’ve collected a new stash.  It’s a work in progress for us.  The main thing is to stop collecting negative stuff, anything that begins to bring us down or cause us to not be happy.

God’s Word calls on us to think on good things.  As hard as it is at times to do….keep trying, with His help.  When I do let go and look to God it’s so much easier to let go of those bad things I’ve collected in my heart.  Not all collecting is bad….but when the negative comes…..don’t stash it in your heart.  Collect the good things and trash the bad thoughts.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  (Philippians 4:8 NLT) 

Hand We're Dealt

My past is just that.....PAST! It did help shape me into who I am today. Yes, I have regrets, we all do. But I can't go back and change some of the things that happened to me....I can't change a thing, except how I dwell or think about the past now. I just choose to not live there anymore. We have to accept the fact that somethings will never go back to how they used to be.

I can't change the cards I was dealt either. I have just learned to play my hand to the best I can and not throw my cards in just yet. From my past, I've learned what is important and I try to capture all the good times I can and learn from all the negative stuff that came my way and not repeat it. Grow and learn from it and get rid of those cards for sure.

So starting today.....I forget what's gone, appreciate what still remains in my hands.....and look forward to the next cards I will draw for my life. Live for those moments that other people don't notice and when you get to thinking about life, remember this: no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worry can change the future. If you want to heal from old wounds.....stop touching it.

"Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead," (Philippians 3:13 NCV)

CRYING OUT

I don’t know about the rest of you but seems like just a few days will go by and there are things that hit around me hard at times and I know that EVERYONE, even those who say they have deep faith, will face some disappointments, failures, sorry and loss. It’s part of living. Some might try to fill their time up with just plain old business to keep from dealing with issues, but when the crap hits the fan we all know it doesn’t distribute evenly. We are going to get hit with some issues, stress, loss and fears at times that hit us so low.

All of us have goals that somehow remain just out of our reach. Every one of us will suffer temporary setbacks, some that seem to go on forever in our lives too. We will even have folks who turn their backs on us at times and we can either become bitter, angry or become a recluse at times.

Many of us will have a “desert” experience too. Where you feel so dried up inside and that can even mean spiritually dry as well. Let’s be honest, we can even struggle with our faith at times. Believe me, because I have at times too. But in those seasons….it’s ok to cry out loud and bare your soul to the Lord. God is there and He is waiting and ready to hear us when we cry out. He always listens to me and helps me get back to where I need to be, so I know He will hear you too

I so often feel like David, in the Psalms, when he cried out in distress to the Lord. I have been in those shoes as many of you have been before or are going through it right now. Know that it’s OK to cry out to the Lord during these times, because He is there and will hear you. Just hang on!!!

"In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven; my cry reached his ears" (Psalm 18:6 NLT)

Autumn Season

Season of autumn.  Summer has gone and now the leaves have changed, falling to the earth and bringing the artist out in all of us as our eyes focus on the beauty of the colors all around. Autumn, that time of the year when crops are being harvested and things are starting to slow down a bit and so in our lives, we feel the chill in the air and know that this season also brings a time of "thankfulness."

As I walked around looking at the leaves on the ground, I noticed the textures and lines, it brought to mind of how many of us are like a leaf.  No two just alike.  We all have different personalities, gifts, talents and styles.  It makes us one of a kind and so unique.  For many of us we blend in too well with all the others and never get noticed, unless someone takes the time to slow down and really see who we are.   I like to watch people and I notice the beauty in others and I am thankful for every person who has crossed the path in my life. 

Many of us are in that season of autumn in our own lives. Sometimes writers use the analogy of autumn as the time in a person’s life when they are growing older.  I can say that I am closer to the autumn in my own life.  However, sometimes the young, green leaves have been stripped from the tree at an early season.  Some are dealing with the loss of loved ones, illnesses that have slowed us down, aches and pains that remind us how fragile we all can be at any point in our life and not just in autumn. 

The leaves will slowly decay and be gone, just like people in our lives and new leaves will appear in the spring just like new friends. But for now, it's a beautiful reminder to me of how so unique each and every one of us are and to be thankful for the many blessed people we have in our life.   Autumn is here....get out and see the beauty around you and in others before it’s gone.

"Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV)

East to West

I used to know this girl in the photo.  I look at this picture and I see a ghost of a girl who once was not afraid to share or speak her mind, at least to others, maybe not so much to her mother out of respect and fear of being smacked into the next week.  I see a girl who liked to go off and think and dwell on thoughts of God and try to find some meaning to her life.  Of knowing who she was and not afraid to let others know she didn’t bend to their ways.  Little did this girl know in the picture that there would come a day she would bend, fold and go off a path she swore she never would. 

As I mentioned, yesterday, about being on zigzag paths and not always able to walk a clear and straight line….there came a time this girl listened to the voices that called and begged her to just come dance to a tune she had never heard or been a part of before.  All the while, deep in her heart of hearts, she still clung to what she knew was true and although she wishes she could remove that hike she took on a bad path, she can’t change it or remove it.  God did though and never let me go and this old gal is thankful when I look back and where I could have ended up.  No way did I deserve Him to save me or forgive me, but He did.

Funny how we all can beat ourselves up at times over things done in the past.  We can’t help but see a picture of ourselves and floods of memories are pulled off the back burner of our minds and some tend to make us feel good and others stir up thoughts we wish we could remove and never taste again.  I’m so thankful that God removes our sins as far as the east is to the west when we come to Him and confess them.   I might not be able to remove the thoughts when they pop in my head but God says He will forgive and forget.  Someone might ask, “How far is east from the west?”  And I like the answer I read one time: “From one nail scarred hand to the other, outstretched.”  When Christ died on the cross, He removed the bad path that girl in the photo once took and I thank Him and I’m so grateful He did.

^“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”  (Psalm 103:10-12 NLT)