Naomi

Naomi

Carrying on with Women of the Bible.

During a time of famine, Naomi's husband decided they should emigrate to another land, and so went from Judah to the highlands of Moab. Leaving her homeland must have been such a sacrifice for Naomi as Moab was so heathen in its ways.

Nothing but misfortune found Naomi and her family when they had moved. Her sons both married women of Moab, rather than Hebrew women, rather than support their mother. Then her husband died, leaving her a widow in a land of idolaters. Naomi loses all heart to live on in a foreign land. Her heart was broken, her spirit was broken, and she felt God had abandoned her. She realised she must return to her native land of Bethlehem.
TFL!
Bernie x

Well, it's been a busy week this week! Two days I had road trips to take others places I'd not been before! Yesterday (Thursday) the girls and I were so whacked after Wednesday's excursion that we had a pyjama day! Don't think I've ever done that before on a Mon-Fri day lol but I obviously needed it as feel much more 'alive' today! I keep telling myself it's just part of taking care of me lol!

So here is my offering for this last week of June! I really enjoyed creating this piece!

June Week 4 - The Family of God

Having done all the suggested reading, just two really called to me. Firstly Ephesians 1:18-20:
I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world.

Then Galatians 3:26 - It is through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ Jesus.

I had absolutely no idea what kind of image to create, so gave up thinking about it and started reading more of The Creative Call, HKC's Book Club current fare. The page I opened up quoted from Genesis and that reminded me that that was where I had started at the beginning of June!

It seemed fitting and really appealed to me to try and illustrate Genesis 1:1-3 - In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate.The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared.

This really fired my imagination, and just seemed so appropriate as it seems to me, this was the start of family - and with all the nasty politics of separation nowadays, it seems so hard for so many people to remember that we are all one world, one human family spread across the whole earth, and we all, along with all of God's creation were created to be together on this planet.

Sometimes what is lacking in a family is made up for from friends, even people we don't know sometimes, and of course, God as our Father loves and watches over us all.

So! This is my piece! Darkness over the seas becoming light. The Spirit represented with a stylised dove shape and wispy trails. Bit of artistic license with the suggestion of mountains in the b/g lol but it worked better! I tried the finished piece in black and white and actually liked it but thought it needed to be in cheery colours to give a more positive feel to it. So there we have it! Lots of brush work and a couple of textures!
TFL!

Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - May Week 3

Well, here we are again! After a week that has seemed to drag, it's finally Friday! After this week especially, I feel I need to be thinking about the self care that has been our focus this month in our Take Me Deeper pages. For all the hard 'stuff' we've been through this week, though, we have still been shown the kindness and compassion by others, including people who don't even know us! One more thing to be so thankful for!

So, on to TMD!

May Week 3 - Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Know Thyself

From the suggested readings these were the ones I felt most drawn to and wanted to include the 'feel' of within my art:

Romans 12:3-8 - And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith we have; if it is to serve, we should serve, if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 - There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.

1 Peter 4:10-11 - Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God. Whoever preaches must preach God's messages; whoever serves must serve with the strength that God gives, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

And probably the one that inspired me the most:
Ephesians 4:10-13 - So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence. It was he who "gave gifts"; he appointed some to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.

Having kept with the theme of hills and mountains, peaceful places, and calm-coloured pieces this month, this last passage gave me the kernel of an image.
I had the thought of being in a specific part of the hills and mountains I've used in my May pieces so far. I started to create the landscape using random brushes with various photos warped and blended in (bunches of flowers, old Victorian images of bouquets around a field of flowers etc - these images and the lady obtained from Antique Images and Graphics Fairy websites for this piece). I like to think of this process as the digital equivalent of journalling or drawing on a page and then covering it up with gesso and paints - nothing specific can be seen but it still contributes to the overall feel of the piece!

Then I found the beautiful image of the lady and her whole demeanour seemed to be exactly what I was feeling! She was within an image of the sea, so I got rid of that so I could use her as she is now, looking as if she is within a rather craggy landscape, perhaps amongst the hills or mountains shown in other pieces this month!

The white wispiness is back from previous months to represent the Spirit, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 - the Spirit is around her, shown in her, giving gifts. The rock she is leaning upon and actually the whole area where she is has brighter colours, the reds and oranges, representing the Spirit and the gifts and the fruit of those gifts spreading out around her and into the world.
The landscape further afield is kept in the peaceful, lonely place colours - she is there to learn about herself, to begin to know herself better. To me she looks as if she is pondering something, perhaps in prayer. However, that landscape does lack the brighter colours, representing the Spirit, that are around her - she is receiving gifts from the Spirit that she can then take out into the world and 'colour' it with the fruits of the gifts given to her.
I've kept the birds and stars in the sky from the earlier pieces this month to represent the entire universe filled with God's presence, spoken of in Ephesians 4:10-13.

TFL!
Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - March Week 3

Well, the strangest thing happened to me after I created this piece, so I'm not going to worry and overthink this!

I started creating this piece today just for fun, as my two daughters were both doing some art inspired by scissor metamorphosis...drawing a pair of scissors and then making them form part of another image. This was then linked to actual metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly...hence my image!!

I hadn't intended doing anything like this at all - the image in my head was much simpler and plainer and less complicated as far as Photoshop goes lol!

Now this morning I'd tried to start my March Week 3 piece and got nowhere, so just gave up.

When I got to the end of this piece, I just 'felt' this should be my March Week 3 piece! That worried me a bit as images like this can make people think of fairies - not anything to do with faith! I was worried what people might think. Then the thought came into my head to read again all the notes I made during my Bible study! So I did! And things started jumping out at me!

The girl looks pensive to me. The first verse I'd read was 1Cor. 2:16 - As the scripture says, "Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice? We, however, have the mind of Christ." With that light shining onto the girl, it just made me think of the mind of Christ and her mind together.

The next verse I'd read was 1 Cor. 10:12 - Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test,he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. I imagined that this girl could be facing a test of some kind...yet the landscape suggests she has a 'way out', a path to follow.

After reading several more verses, 1Tim. 2:5-6 jumped out at me - For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to redeem everyone. Again, the light shining on the girl just feels to me like the human being brought together with God.

I went on to read a few commentaries on various themes, but the one that really grabbed me was this:
Jesus Christ is our mediator, the connection, the bridge between God and us. Spiritual enablement flows from God through Him to us. God's power and God's faithfulness are the issues that are of supreme importance to us in these times. Are we constantly aware that our salvation lies in His hands? He has the power to save.
I like to think the light in the image is spiritual enablement; God's power flowing down upon the girl, bringing salvation.

Another commentary said: In the new creation, the spiritual creation, the sinner is perceived by God as dead and in spiritual darkness. Then God sends forth His spirit to draw the sinner to Christ and to spiritual life and light, making the sinner His child. It is God, by means of His Holy Spirit, who produces the new birth.

The original colours I was creating with were unexpectedly changed when I applied a texture and changed the blend mode. I instantly loved the muted tones, and I think it gives a hint of darkness. The light (the Spirit) coming forth to the girl is drawing her to Christ and into the light (the rays fall onto her, around her, enveloping her as a father might wrap his child in his arms).

So God produces the new birth...and the name of my piece...? Metamorphosis!

So I decided I could be comfortable with this being my piece for March Week 3! I think I've been TOLD!

The girl is a CU font; all the rest of CU brushes and textures!
TFL!
Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - March Week 2

The end of another week - or as I now think of it, the start of another TMD week lol! How time passes! I appreciate all the work that has gone into the creation of Take Me Deeper. The weekly devotionals are really making me think and read and helping me so much! if you'd like to join us, you can find details HERE!

March Week 2 - Take My Hand

Firstly I looked up the definition and synonyms for 'Worship'. Then I started reading with the thought of Take my Hand in mind.

Psalm 73:23 - Yet I always stay close to you, and you hold me by the hand.

Isaiah 41:13 - For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

Psalm 145:18-19 - The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear him. He will also hear their cry and save them.

Prov. 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

I was then given an image of several paths, some in light and some in darkness, with shafts of light illuminating various points on the path within the darkness. People holding hands. Light shining through trees.
The image turned out rather different from what I'd had in my head...for some reason the predominately dark image didn't want to come forward, the light had to be in control!!

So I have my people holding hands on the path - I liked the one big and one small as it can also represent God holding us by the hand as well as humans doing so! The light is casting lovely colours and the path is so 'directed'. There are little gaps in the darker areas outside the pathway, little paths that could tempt us to follow them; distract from the main path; but they go nowhere, and certainly not towards the light up ahead. The Spirit is still represented; the people walk with the Spirit towards the Light. As in last week's piece, I coloured to the people with a warm colour to represent being filled with the Spirit. Whereas last week's piece was more of an introduction piece, showing those walking towards the Light as well as those not, this piece feels more personal...more about our own individual walk towards the Light.

For this piece, I created a landscape with CU watercolour brushes and then merged that with one of my own photos from the beautiful gardens in Walmer Castle, (here in Kent, UK).

Take Me Deeper - March Week 1

Well! A new month, a new theme in TMD and boy my pages seem to have changed in feel! Not too sure what to make of it but they are what they are! I enjoyed the process of making this page!

March Week 1 - I Will Follow

Points that jumped out at me when reading Romans 8:1-17:
-There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Jesus Christ.

- Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.

- Those who obey their human nature cannot please God

- But if Christ lives in you,the Spirit is life for you...

- Those who live by God's Spirit are God's children.

- For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father! My Father!" God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ's suffering, we will also share his glory.

Plus Romans 8:28: We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those who he has called according to his purpose.

An image came to mind of a path. Each side of the path was a wasteland - what it is like to not live in union with Christ...to have a mind controlled by human nature...a dark, colourless land where the people are not living full lives and are limited wherever they go and whatever they do. A sad place. The people are like shadows of the people they could be.
The path however is a happy place! Full of colour and light and where the people are children of God, living in the Spirit. It's always a path of course, following on from January's transformation which is ongoing. A path of love also; love of God, love from God, and love for each other by the humans on that path.
I wanted to make the path look happy and attractive of course! Bright colours, pretty flowers. The representation of the Spirit is still there, continuing from last month's pieces, and the people on the path live by the Spirit. One child on the path helps another child; someone else is closer to God, another rests in God's love on the path. Somewhere off in the distance is the bright light of God - and the rays of light from February's pieces are also still there.
The people who do not live in union with Christ look on as they stand in their dark, colourless and barren lands. It would be easy for them to just take a step and walk onto the path, to enjoy that life, and yet they have not done that - yet!
I used a lot of red as in our Church we use red at Pentecost, representing the Spirit. The happy and colourful path is filled with red - filled with the Spirit - the flowers, the birds, the landscape and the people.

I have to confess this piece makes me a bit uncomfortable! I wanted to try to make it more positive and not dwell too much on the 'wasteland', but it demanded to be seen! Right at the end I even made it darker as it just seemed to want to really push the contrast at me! Also, I think I feel uncomfortable because although it's simply representing the Bible verses, it almost feels like judging others, which I try to stay away from!! Anyway, it is what it is! It looks nothing like the sketch I did when reading the verses and again I have no idea where it came from really as I just stamped down brush shapes and a landscape formed! This took hours longer than my pieces usually do as well! Not to sure what to make of it lol!
Made with CU brushes and Afrika Children font.
TFL!
Bernie x

P.S. If you'd like to join us at His Kingdom Come for this year long project, you can find all the details HERE! x

Take Me Deeper - Week 4!

The end of February! How did that happen?!! Without further ado here are my thoughts, the readings I was led to, and my piece for Take Me deeper this week!

February Wk 4
I wasn't at all sure about this one for some reason but my eldest (18) said she loved it so am keeping it!

2 Cor. 5:19 - God,through Christ, is making the whole human race his friends. I found some commentary:

- we are to be reconciled to God - i.e. to accept what God has already achieved - it is not that we must reconcile ourselves.
Through Christ we truly assume his righteousness, just as Christ assumed our sin.
I read that in Paul's writings, God is always the reconciler. This is the reverse of Hellenistic religion where the human seeks restoration of God's favour, and also of Judaism, where confession of sin and repentance are the means by which reconciliation with God is sought. The initiative now is with God, who changes a relationship of enmity to friendship. This is accomplished through Christ.
not sure if I was going off on a bit of a tangent there, and being Catholic, that commentary gave me pause for thought as growing up I've heard a lot of the need for confession of sin and for repentance...ie everything coming from the human.

So I continued on and searched for what the Bible says about loving yourself.
1 John 3:1 - See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (That last sentence really jumped out at me but I felt it was for another time to concentrate on that).
Psalm 139:13-14 - You created every part of, you put me together in my mother's womb. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Phil. 1:6 - And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
John 15:9 - As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Romans 8:16 - God's Spirit, joining himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.
1 John 4:4 - Little children, you are from God...he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Genesis 1:26 - And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness...
Psalms 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Reading all the above, my image represents God sending out into the world all of us, His children. Transformed children, (hence keeping the butterflies from the January prompts), thanks to everything God has done for us (see above quotes). I wanted to give a nod towards the theme of creation (God creating us, the world, love, and so used some stars and a bit of a bursting forth theme also to represent that. The 'wind' of the Spirit is still in there, as are the rays of light, among each other, as friends (see above quote).

Basically, it all seems to be summed up as loving yourself is being thankful and appreciating the person whom God has made in you.
TFL!
Bernie x
Hands are a brush from SpiritSigh @ DeviantArt, and the rest was created with CU brushes

Take Me Deeper - February Week 3

I know it's a recurring theme for me LOL but can you believe it's the 3rd week of February already?!
Shrove Tuesday has come and Ash Wednesday, and I am so thankful for the Take Me Deeper Project as well as all the lovely people at His Kingdom Come.

Remember, if you've not already joined us and would like to, you can find he Take Me Deeper Project and other classes HERE at His Kingdom Come!

So, to this week's study! I read the provided Bible quote in context. and then looked for commentaries. Within them I found three thoughts that stuck with me:

- a community of love shines as a light

- genuine love and unity among Christians was a major cause, perhaps the strongest single cause, of the spread of Christianity

- love acts in obedience to God's will, under the guidance of the Spirit.

Then I didn't have the chance to try and create anything for a week, and so went back to the readings and searched for Bible quotes about neighbours. I found:
Leviticus 19:17 - ...but love your neighbour as you love yourself
Isaiah 58:9-10 - If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.

John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Matthew 25:40 - ...I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me.

I have the jam jar with escaping butterfly representing us, through love, escaping from our little confined, self-centred worlds. Once I'd got that on the page I got a bit fed up as it seemed flat and I had zero ideas how to progress the page! So I prayed and it came to me to add in some extra darkness around the jar...I ended up making that into a wasteland-type landscape, representing the dark and miserable world we live in if we don't love our neighbour and care for others. I took out most of the colour from that area to make it more stark.
Then the bright butterflies of love and care, once released out into the world, bring 'the brightness of noon', shown by the blue sky and rays of light.
The representation of the Spirit is carried on into this piece as well.

Basically, a dark world can be transformed into a world of light and colour by one simple thing - love.

Jam jar brush from SpiritSigh at DeviantArt; the rest is created by me with CU brushes and a CU texture.
TFL!
Bernie x