Visions & Verses

New Beginnings

 The blossoms appear in the countryside. The time of singing has come, and the turtledove's cooing is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:12

Well, it seems Spring may finally be on its way.  Last weekend was beautiful but then Monday brought half a foot of snow.  By this past weekend temperatures crept up near 80 degrees.  The kids danced on the deck in their shorts and tees and we barbecued every day and ate outside.  It was so nice to turn off the heat and open the windows.  Still, Baltimore is notorious for its finicky weather, so I expect some more unpleasant weather before the tulips bloom.

I love the feeling of newness that Spring brings.  That wonderful sense of rebirth and growth.  The first day of Spring is the Persian New Year, so I am usually thinking of that side of the family's culture, but this year, I've been thinking of mine -- the Celtic side.  St. Patrick was also big on new beginnings, although not always ones he planned.  Snake myths aside, I do know that in the end this religious slave and orphan ended up bringing the hope of Christ to the entire island of Ireland.  I wish all my beginnings were so profitable.  Nevertheless, I have learned to regard even the smallest things in a new way.  First of all, worth is measured differently by God and the world.  The world values status, money and possessions, whereas God values your relationships -- with Him and with others.  How you care for others counts.  Also, even the tiniest seeds can sprout and grow into something great.  Billy Graham didn't start out trying to evangelize the world, although he has, and St. Patrick didn't intend to convert an entire island of pagans, but that's what God had planned for him.

So, in this season of beginnings, I am happy to trust that God is moving me to the place I need to be.  I encourage you to also spend this Lenten season seeking Him out and prayerfully considering what He has planned for you.  Fast, meditate, spend some time alone, read the Bible and let that breakthrough happen!  I pray that your faith will blossom like the crocuses and tulips (and shamrocks!)

Lord, our Lord, you are so awesome and your creation is so wonderful.  Thank you for being a Good Shepherd who leads His flock by still water and green pastures.  Help us to turn our eyes to You this Lent, to seek you and listen to your 'still, small voice'.  Show us the path you have prepared for us, and help us to avoid the temptations of affluence and indolence, because You know what is best for us.  Amen.

The Season of Love

 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.    ~1 John 4:7

Getting back into the swing of things after the holidays and the dreariness of January.  I've been working a lot on me, and not so much on art, so this has been my first illustration of the new year.  My daughter decided at the last minute that she would prefer that I draw a card for her instead of her drawing her own.  I know where the procrastination comes from, so I'll hold my tongue!  Anyway, our foray into fitness meant that we could not include chocolate or lollipops, so we gave out little bubble bottles instead.  Actually, I was very happy to have an excuse to get back to the drawing board.  Usually by this time I'd have at least 4 or 5 illustrations done, but I was in some kind of funk.  Actually, I've been giving a lot of thought to my purpose in life.  I'm wondering if cute illustrations are what God has intended for me.  I have a few book ideas rolling around too, and I feel like I need to decide where to allocate my time and energies.  In that regard, I've been thinking about love for a long time now.  My study of Christianity has led me to conclude that the Beatles had it right: all you need is love.  But then, what is love really?  Christian love is a much more complicated concept than the media and culture would lead us to believe.  It's kind of like respect, dignity and compassion all wrapped into one, and it's much more of an action verb than a state of mind.  Like Dionne Warwick, I think that what the world needs now is love, sweet love.  Meditate on how Christian love would have prevented this economic crisis, would solve the problems in the Middle East and would bring an end to world hunger and poverty.  I know those are not simple problems, and I'm not trying to minimize them.  On the contrary, I really want people to start realizing how crazy, self-sacrificing, unselfish love for others would suddenly and profoundly change the world.  Love isn't just hearts and flowers and chocolate -- it's dirty knees, rolled up sleeves, dirty diapers, sweat and tears and real sacrifice.  We'd all like to save the world if it didn't cost us anything.  But it will cost us -- and I know God wants to push us right out of our comfort zone, right out of what we figure we can stand to give up, right into that area of fear and doubt that forces us to rely on Him alone.  So I don't know if I need to go to Africa, work at a homeless shelter, devote myself totally to my family, or get a book published.  All of those scare me and would require an amount of devotion that my selfish nature is loathe to give.  Geez, isn't it enough that I'm dieting and exercising for the first time in years?  'Nope.' is the simple clear answer that I'm getting from God.  The pursuit of love is leading me toward spiritual boot-camp, and I can tell you, there's fear and excitement, but most of all I don't want to miss the bus (again) and be stuck where I am.

Lord, thank you for pushing us to be more than we think we can be.  Thank you for those momentary glimpses when we see ourselves and others as You see us -- precious, valuable, worthy, special.  Help us to understand our relational nature, and help us to love others, because You ARE love, and only when WE love, are we truly like You. Amen.

Cookie Party

   

Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared.  ~Nehemiah 8:10

I am so blessed to have a group of gal pals who are like sisters to me.  And these wonderful friends had a terrific idea to help ease the holiday baking burden by having a cookie baking party.  It's similar to a cookie exchange, but instead of bringing cookies, we brought a big batch of dough (enough for 6 dozen) and prepared and cooked them together with the kids.  When the kids got bored, we sent them to the family room for a movie while we sipped a little wine and chatted. 

We each made a different cookie: Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter Kisses, Cranberry Crisps, Persian Almond, and Chocolate Chip.  And each of us went home with at least a dozen of six different varieties of cookies -- a good deal.  But the best part was slowing down to spendtime with friends and family during the busy holiday season.  It seems to me that women are very communal and are really designed to work together as a group to nurture the larger group.  That's how it was for my hubby back in the Old Country, with Aunts and cousins all over the place in the summers.  Sounds nice.  And I can't picture a Christmas without 3 or more women in the kitchen chopping and chatting, ladling and laughing....

Here's the recipe for my Persian Almond Cookies (Nan-e Shirini)

2 Cups flour                        1 egg                                sm. bag of sliced almonds

1 tsp baking powder            1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Cup shortening                1 tsp almond extract

1 Cup sugar                        1 tsp lemon extract

Cream together the shortening and sugar.  Blend in egg and flavorings.  Gradually add dry ingredients until dough is well blended.  Roll dough into round balls about and inch wide.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly, adding 1 or 2 sliced almonds to the top of each cookie.  Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes.  Remove before the edges brown.  Makes 2-3 dozen.

Lord, with every Christmas cookie we munch, and every card we receive, let us remember and give thanks for those who blessed us with them.  Remind us that Jesus was born into a family and surrounded with friends and loved ones right from that first Holy night.  Thank You for all of those that You have placed in our lives to nurture, support and love us.  And thank You most of all for loving us enough to bless us with Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Out of the mouths of babes...

        

With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.  ~Psalm 8:2

This Sunday, our combined church Sunday School put on their annual Christmas Play.  Despite a shaky dress rehearsal Saturday, both performances were outstanding.  Of course the littlest angels and centurion stole the show, but the older kids are now polished performers.

I love the Christmas Play because it usually fills the pews at both churches, and frequently with relatives and others who are not 'regulars'.  And it is truly moving how the Christmas story, spoken by those young voices, as if it were all brand new, really touches the heart and brings home the gospel message.  Children were special to Jesus, and he blessed them, and used them to demonstrate how all of us should be -- trusting, loving, and dependent on our Father without pride or shame.

For the kids it was a fun time to dress up and perform, and that is at it should be.  But the Lord is able to take our humble little play and use it for His glory -- and that is how THAT should be, too.   

First Snow

     

As soon as God speaks, the earth obeys.  He covers the ground with snow like a blanket of wool, and he scatters frost like ashes on the ground.  ~Psalm 147:15-17

The Baltimore area got its first snow this past Friday.  Baltimore is not known for snow or winter sports.  That's because, sitting on the Mason-Dixon line, we are bounded by mountains to the west which usually block all that 'lake effect' snow, dropping it all over Pittsburgh instead.  Well, on Friday, the mountains failed to stop it, and we ended up with snow in November.  It started as light flurries (photo 1) which was nice for the kids.  But suddenly the wind whipped up and we had near white-out conditions for about a half an hour (photo 2) leaving behind enough snow to confuse humans and pets alike (photo 3).  The thing to remember is that a couple of weeks ago we had temperatures in the 70s.  I hadn't even gotten my winter sweaters out yet.  There's still a dusting of snow even now.

No matter where you come out on the man-made vs. natural cycle global warming debate, the fact remains that nature and its weather are awesome.  Awesome because it is a clear demonstration of God's awesome power.  Weather and those natural wonders do tend to turn a human's thoughts toward the spiritual.  So much poetry and music inspired by weather....even the unbelievers can sense the Divine hand in it.  My favorite psalms are the ones that describe how the whole earth is designed and controlled by God (ie:104 and 147).

So, if God can bring snow to Baltimore in mid-November, He certainly can resolve financial crises, family strife, medical concerns, and all manner of fears and worries that we bring to Him.  And I am truly, truly thankful for that!  The burden of worry and fear would be way too big if I didn't cast my cares on Jesus.

Another Contest

 

This decorative ceramic display tile could be yours -- just click on 'NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY' to your upper left on my blog page, or click here: http://jenjahromi.typepad.com/visionsverses/april-contest-giveaway.html for all the details.

But the main thing is to sign up at www.visionsandverses.com.  I will draw from all the active newsletter subscribers on December 1, 2008!  Good luck!

Knit Together

I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ~Colossians 2:2-3

I did this illustration for my Mom and Aunt who truly excel in the needle arts.  Mom is an expert cross stitcher, knitter and crocheter; while Aunt Ruth is a seamstress extraordinaire and and has won blue ribbons for her tatting and bobbin lace.  My talents lie only in the pencil and pen, and depending on your assessment of this illustration, perhaps in the brush also.

I'm feeling a little like the wind has been knocked out of my sails lately.  I want to write to encourage you, but I find I need a little myself.  I long ago learned that you cannot depend on others to make you happy, or even to treat you as you would treat them.  Still, I'm one of those people who really need extra doses of encouragement in order to press on and encourage others.  The reaction of my Mom and Aunt to this illustration, for instance, was quite lack-luster.  Friends and others usually gush or are at least impressed by my cards, but I got nuttin' from them on this one.  I think they commented that the actual dresses were definitely not red.  I suppose it shouldn't matter to me -- I mean art is subjective, I just put it out there.  Still, it gnawed at me in a sore spot of familial disappointments that I try to ignore.  You can't pick your family, and of course, they had their issues with dysfunctional childhoods, and I have long since forgiven them for any hurts they caused, but then why does it still bother me?  My personal response has been to make a conscious effort to be interested people and to encourage and compliment them sincerely.  I really try to do this with my husband and kids, especially.  Climbing out of the societal pit of cynicism and negativity is really challenging though.  And lately I've been wallowing there a little.  And although I can't quite see the sun rising on the horizon, I know there's a world of light and hope and encouragement out there.

It's a funny thing to me how as Christians we're caught between our natural responses as worldly humans and our spiritual responses as spirit-filled beings not at home in this world.  I think Paul put it best in Romans 7:18-25:

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

And so I'll continue to wallow for a little while longer.  I hope that I snap out of it by Thanksgiving, because that is truly one of my favorite holidays.  Even if not, I'll be sincerely grateful for all the blessings that I have, and even for the tough times and situations because they remind me that I can't do anything without God.

Time for a Harvest!

But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest right now. Those who gather the crop are already getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So those who plant and those who gather can now be glad together.   ~John 4:35-36

I love harvest time.  At my house, we get a harvest of cherries, pears, apples, grapes and a few peaches.  And our annual tradition is to go to the local Farm store to pick pumpkins and gourds and marvelously mismatched Indian corn.  We were pleasantly surprised last year that our pumpkins and gourds from the previous year had broken open and planted seeds in the front garden, leaving us with an unexpected harvest.  Looking at that pumpkin vine, and also at the fruit trees every year, it amazes me how God provides this kind of bounty for us to just go out and pick.  You plant a tiny seed, and in time you reap a tomato or pepper or pumpkin.  So simple, yet so profound.

And this is exactly how God harvests his children also.  We plant a seed of encouragement or instruction and God nurtures it until there is a harvest of salvation -- amazing.  In my case it took 20 some years of sowing and nurturing before I was 'ripe'.  I sincerely thank all the 'sowers' who must have thought their work was wasted those many years.  And so, with Jesus' own words, I encourage you to look out at the 'fields' and begin the 'harvest'.  I could be wrong, but world events sure seem to be fulfilling some 'end time' prophesies.  If so, we need to be making that extra effort to bring the Good News to anyone and everyone who will listen.  Even if these aren't the 'end times', certainly our world could greatly benefit from God's healing forgiveness and salvation.  How to solve all these various world crises? -- Literally, God only knows!  I feel more confident trusting in Him than in any political candidate.  Jesus is the answer, so lets 'Get Out the Hope' while we still can.

Lord, whatever the future holds for this country and this world, remind us that You are in control and that it is all part of Your divine plan.  Strengthen our courage to share our faith.  Strengthen our courage to put Your Kingdom ahead of this world in our lives.  Strengthen us to be 'shining stars in a crooked and depraved generation as we hold out Your word of life' (Phil 2:15-16)  And forgive us for all our failings as we give thanks for all the blessings you continue to pour out on us.

Inspiration ~ Jesse Willcox Smith

 My blog friend, artist Kasie Sallee on her blog, The Art of Life, posted a little challenge to share our inspirations.  Today she shared another of hers, Norman Rockwell, who is also one of my 'big three'.

One of my other inspirations is Jesse Willcox Smith, a prolific illustrator who specialized in children and families, though she never had either herself.

Jessie Willcox Smithwas born in Philadelphia in 1863. She originally studied to be a kindergarten teacher and actually served in that capacity before accidentally discovering a propensity for drawing. Amazingly, she was probably around 20 before she took up a pencil.  She studied under Howard Pyle, and slowly gained notoriety.

It was on the covers of Good Housekeeping that most people became familiar with her art. For over 15 years, from 1917 - 1933, she painted the covers for one of America's most popular magazines. She painted the universal child, but the dresses and playsuits they wore helped shape the dressing habits of a generation of children.

For me, it is the simple, sweet faces, everyday poses, and admittedly idealized depiction of childhood that capture my heart and my interest.  I'm also attracted to the heavy outlining.  And as I research her images, I am also captivated by how many of the scenes capture a moment in time, now history, that tells us a little something about how people lived in the early years of last century.  This is true for Norman Rockwell as well.  And what struck me, looking at so many illustrations, was how frequent depictions of praying were.  And these were for national magazine covers, not religious books.  I wonder what life in America must have been like when saying grace in a restaurant was the rule rather than the exception, and when prayer was still welcome in schools.  I suppose I'll never know, but it reminds me how much our culture has changed.  And that brings me back to where I am now, wanting desperately to share the wisdom of the Bible with a generation that literally has never cracked it's cover, and is no longer even clear on Adam and Eve and Noah.

October Contest

 

The leaves are turning, reminding me that September has turned into October and I'm overdue in announcing the October giveaway.

This month, the lucky winner will receive the 'Let Us Be Thankful' Decorative Ceramic Tile which can be used as a trivet, or placed on the display stand that comes with it.  If you just have to have one right now, you can find it on my website for $17.45.

To enter the contest, just enter your name and email address in the sign up box on my website, www.visionsandverses.com.  It's just that simple, and you'll be entered for as many months as you remain signed up, although you won't be eligible to win two months in a row.  As a bonus, you'll also receive our monthly newsletter informing you of new products, sales and specials.

Have a wonderful Autumn, and forward this site on to your friends so that they can enter too!