The Lion and the Lamb

I draw realistic portraits with charcoal and pencil. The results are gratifying, but truthfully the process is slow, laborious and painstaking. I have quite the crick in the neck after I've been scrunched over a drawing for an entire day.

But, now watercolor. It looks so loose, free and easy. For months I've been trying to learn watercolor from Youtube tutorials. Not so easy after all. I've found it really hard, quite frustrating actually.  I've made one hot mess after another. 

I spend almost every Saturday painting. I start out so positive. I am going to do spectacular paintings. I make coffee, get my supplies situated, and put on Pandora.  I roll up my sleeves, then stare at my paper. For a very long time.

The thing is I'm not all that creative or original. I'm used to drawing realistically with precision from a reference photo. You can't do realistic or precise with watercolor. It has a mind of its own.  When I finally start something, I don't know when to quit. I've ruined the majority of paintings by overworking them. The results look like kindergarten finger paintings.

I keep telling myself I'm done with watercolor. So many frustrations, so many fails. But, surprisingly, I've returned later to some of my fails and realize they're not that bad. Whether they're good or bad or ho hum, I tape each to my wall. Well, some of the really, really bad ones, I turn over and use for practice paper. (Watercolor paper isn't cheap.)

Today I painted bunnies on cards for each of our granddaughters. They seemed to like them or at least they liked the five dollars that was in the card.

Tonight before bed I wanted to paint something spectacular to capture the majesty of the resurrection of Christ. The painting I did is less than spectacular, but I'll share it anyway--straight out of my watercolor pad. (Please don't laugh.)

The Lion and the Lamb...His humility on the cross and his power in conquering death.  

Happy Easter everyone! And, now I gotta go to bed. 

The conquering Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain. Rev. 5:5-6

Chance meeting

Sometimes it’s worth looking up from your phone to look at the person sitting right next to you.

A number of weeks ago, I took a trip to see a good friend in Oklahoma. It had been a long brutally cold winter in Minnesota. I had been feeling very heavy-hearted over a situation. I was looking forward to getting away, leaving the polar vortex and flying south, even if it was just to Oklahoma and not Florida. It was in the right direction anyway and bound to be warmer.

When I checked my bag, the lady behind the counter gave me a different seat than what I had been assigned when I checked in online the night before. I didn’t ask why; I didn’t much care as long as the seat wasn’t way in the back by the bathrooms.

Flying used to be more of a pleasure than it is today. Now, you basically just hope to survive the trip without any major hassles.  People generally don’t converse with one another like they used to. Keeping their heads down, most people's eyes are on their phones or some other device. Someone had told me that when he travels for work he doesn’t want to talk. He gets busy working or takes a nap so he can be left alone.

With that in mind, I made my way back to 18D. It was the last seat on the plane by the bathrooms. Oh, well. There was a young woman in the seat next to mine. I wouldn’t bug her. I was going to put in my ear buds and watch Youtube.

I still had this heavy, anxious feeling. I had been praying about it, but the feeling wouldn’t leave.

Thankfully, this young woman didn’t follow the no-talk rule and reached out.

Before I put in my ear buds, she smiled and struck up a conversation. At first we talked about the usual stuff…the extreme weather we’d been having, where we lived, who we were going to visit. She was a single mom and was from North Dakota. She told me about her business which she was considering expanding, but was praying about it. She wanted to be flexible with her time to be with her son.

I saw the book she was reading, “Kingdom Kids.”  I asked if she was a Christian. She was.  For the next hour she proceeded to tell me her story. As she shared, the heaviness started to lift.  Her words were exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.

I told her I felt God had arranged our meeting. She agreed.  I told her I wasn’t even supposed to be in this seat. She laughed and said her seat had changed at the last minute too.

As our plane was landing, God nudged me to offer to draw her son. 

"Snow Day"

Here’s a drawing of Jace, and his friend, Tatum.  Thank you, Sarah, for being a light.

Blessings to you,

Jacci