Personal Sacrifice

A friend of mine shared this the other evening and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  I wanted to post it here to share and for safekeeping so I can come back and reflect on it again and again.

in the first centuries
of christianity
the hungry we fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at a personal sacrifice.
and because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the christians,
“see how they love each other.”
in our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice
but at the expense of the taxpayers.
and because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans say about the
christians,
“see how they pass the buck.”

- peter maurin

Hope Deferred

Hope Deferred - SOLD!

Thank you!

Week two of my painting commitment of doing one large piece per week until September.  I think I'm gonna like this!  I can feel myself stretching and learning as I go.  They say you don't get to your true self as an artist until you've painted 100 paintings.  Well I am nowhere near that but I'll definitely be working toward that goal!

Abiding in Faith

abiding(adj.)  continuing without change:  "an abiding faith."

enduring, imperishable, unceasing:  "an abiding belief"; "imperishable truths"

My faith is not abiding by the above definition.  My faith often takes a beating having to deal with the day to day struggles we all face:  relationships, finances, sickness, unfulfilled hopes and dreams. I wrestle with my faith often and I fail often.  How about you?

I'm learning, though, that faith is a two-way street and that God's faith in me is abiding, continuing without change, enduring, imperishable and unceasing.  He never gives up on me no matter how bad things get.  He is the perfect and faithful Father.  

*****

So the above painting is the first of many I'll be creating over the next 3 months.  That's about 12 weeks that I have to prepare for an art fair that I've applied to participate in in September.  I should be notified in the next couple of weeks but I want to be prepared and so I begin.  

This one is listed in my Etsy shop for sale HERE.