"Forevermore."
Soft Pastel, 2012

"Reconciling What Happened to my Mom with God’s Goodness"

What we KNOW:

• God knows all and is ever-present
  
  
• His power is infinite, limitless
  
  
• He is merciful, just, faithful
  
  
• He promises to be at work in our lives and therefore, He is our true Hope
  
  
• That our view of things is severely limited
  
  
• Scripture speaks succinctly and powerfully to suffering Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4
  
  
• Gods sanctification in our afflictions are a greater mercy than if He were to deliver us out of them
  
  
• "For I consider that the problems of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18. It won't only be 100 times better, it is NOT WORTH comparing
  
  
• He is working all things for our good Romans 8:28
  
  
• His plan is to grow us to become more like Him...
  
  

What a beautiful object lesson God gives us by looking at the oyster! Pearls are formed by a small grain of sand, which is a constant irritant to the oyster. It's the irritant that produces the gem.

Likewise, many of the good things God has for us come to us seemingly as irritants and under pressure... 

Original pastel. Three losses in 8 days. My heart is heavy. I am attached to this scripture because it deeply moves me as it so accurately describes the thought of grief~ the weariness, the thought of my heart simply dissolving into the emotion...the revisiting of this unwanted experience of having to let go, over & over again. It feels intensely, 'not right'. My heart was not made for this. Originally, my heart was made for Eden. The intensity of the struggle drives me clinging to the words of my heavenly Father. Nothing else suffices except His promises. They serve as rays of Hope. Every inch of my being longs for heaven~ just as the angel trumpets in my yard stretch toward the sun with all they have and follow that source of light across the sky~ reaching out to their strength, so I reach for my strength & receive it directly from His hand. <3 Psalm 119:28.