Good words to live by.
“Try to live in peace, instead of looking for problems.”
-Raul Conde (Writer)
Daily Art #135, What A Real Fungi
The prompt for today was to draw something low to the ground. Since I live in an area that provides mushrooms for a good part of the United States I chose to draw of them. Mushrooms from what I understand need the right combination of compost (manure and other products),moisture and temperature in order to grow. Believe me when the wind is just right you can smell what the workers at these plants go through doing their job.
Over the years living here I have sort of gotten used to the smell. It is funny, however when out of town visitors come. They often wrinkle their noses and utter the phrase, “What’s that smell?” to which we usually reply with a chuckle, “What smell?”
Why tell you all this because what it takes to grow mushroom reminds me of the Parable of the sower in Matthew 13. In that parable the seeds must be planted in the right kind of soil before they are able to grow. Mushrooms must be planted in the right kind of compost in order for the spores to grow. So the next time you’re complaining about your life stinking remember, like the mushrooms, God planted you in the right kind of soil for you to grow.
Daily Art #134, A Bouquet for Mother’s Day
I have decided on this day honoring mothers to up my game in this doodle challenge and switch back to my original concept of doing a daily art challenge. While some of pieces of art will not be totally finished pieces and some may be no more than doodles. I feel they are representations of art done in my weird and unique style. My mom would have wanted me to do my best and while I love to doodle I strive to be an artist. So in honor of mom I am going to do my best. Please read my message to mothers below the picture.‘
Today is Mother’s Day. In honor of my mother and my mother in law who both passed on a few years ago I would like to give a shout out to all the mothers reading this. I hope you enjoy your day. My drawing today is entitled, “A Bouquet for All Mothers.”
My mother while she was alive was the world to a little boy and a grown man. As a young lad my mother and father separated. My mother took the reins of the household and supported me until I met my wife and moved out. We didn’t have much but what she did give me I knew was out of love. So all you mothers out there who are giving it their all…here’s to you…here’s to you.
Doodle #133, Life is All About Chain-ges
Growing up one of my favorite movies was “A Christmas Carol.” While I realize it is not the Christmas season today’s prompt of the word “chain” reminded me of the movie so I created the unfinished drawing, “A Man Chained to Change.” In the movie, for those who don’t know, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley who comes rattling his chains. He warns Scrooge that if he doesn’t change he will be burdened in the afterlife by dragging around chains. In the end after being visited by 3 ghosts Scrooge sees the error of his ways and changes his attitude.
I left the picture unfinished for a reason. In life we often are chained to the life we are living until someone or something shows us the error or our ways. Scrooge had his supernatural visit so can we. If we see the error of our ways like Scrooge and ask for forgiveness sincerely in our hearts, we can know the freedom and love he also received. The key to breaking the fear of chain-ge for us comes in starting and developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is through him that we can find true freedom and be released from the chains of what is holding us back.
Doodle #132, A Cup of Warmth to Start the Day
I am a coffee drinker. Give me a cup of joe with some cream and stevia and I am a happy man. However I have partaken in a macchiato or capuccino now and then like the one in my drawing, “A Cup of Warmth.” For us coffee drinkers a daily cup is not only a caffeine fix but a cup of warmth to start the day.
While coffee may be my warmth each day I also try to make myself a little bit of warmth to others. I work in an inner city school. Each day I come in contact with students, many of whom have lives you wouldn’t believe if I could tell you. Some of the students respond to the warmth others not so much.
I however, choose not let myself take anything personally they may say. It is not because I am anyone special or am immune to biting words. I have just chosen to be a cup of comfort to each person I meet. In school I was bullied because of who I was and how I looked and dressed. I said myself then and there I was not going live my life being someone who differently because of who they are are. When I game my life to Christ it only enhanced my unconditional love for others. So be a cup of comfort to others,
Doodle #131, 3 Reasons to Reflect on Your Reflection
Each day I get up for work and look in the mirror. I stand there for a few minutes and reflect on my reflection. No I am not going off the deep end. It is just that I ponder about who I am to other people. I know they see me and know my appearance but can they see me for who I really am…a follower of Jesus Christ who is supposed to exemplify his love and caring in this world. It is with these thoughts i have come up with 3 reasons to reflect on your reflection. Not a refection like in a mirror or a puddle like my drawing, “Seeing Yourself in the Water,” but a pondering of how others see you.
- People see your ways. No matter how much we feel like we live in isolation someone is always watching our movements. This is especially true of those who claim to be a person of faith. Do one thing out of character and people will be all over the misdeed questioning the validity of your reflection.
- People hear you words. Part of your reflection is what you say. As the saying goes, “if you’re going to talk the talk you need to walk the walk,” or as the Bible says, “Let you yes be yes and your no be no.”
- People follow your lead. What we say and what we do leads to the third part of your reflection. People will not follow what you claim, they will follow what they see. A hypocrite is a person who claims or preaches one thing but does the opposite of what they tell you, you should be doing.
As you can see looking in the mirror and pondering over your reflection is not all about just seeing how old you look these days. It is about making sure what your reflecting to others is what us truly in your heart.
3 Reasons to Art; A Brief Overview
I have delved into creating art for most of life. The reasons I started to create art are various. Here are three.
- I returned to my love of art over three decades ago. One of the reasons is it helps me to relax. At one point in my life I dealt with anxiety issues. One of my doctors suggested I take up a quiet hobby. I used to doodle so I figured I would try my hand at cartooning. One thing led to another and I started to create more fine art projects. Art still helps me to relax.
- The second reason I love to art is the challenge. I am a self taught artist. A lot of what I know comes from books and lately YouTube videos. Trying to become a better artist is not only restful but it also challenging. I also look for drawing projects which are hard for me to draw. This I feel helps me grow as a person as wells as an artist.
- The last reason I art is because I love sharing with others what I create. I know I will probably never become rich off of my art but it doesn’t matter. My goal for creating art, other than it relaxing nature and the mental challenge it brings, is to maybe bring a smile to someones face. Art by it’s very nature is a participation media. Artists create so others can see or hear the fruits of our labors.
These are the three maim reasons I create art. Maybe you can add your reasons as comments to this article.
Doodle #130, Takin’ Your Life for a Stroll
It is a simple law of physics which states, “a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless something acts on it to stop it.” My wife and I love to go for strolls. At times we walk through our local neighborhood. If it is cold outside we will walk at our local mall. One of our favorite places to walk is out in Amish Country around some of the local landmarks and villages which is the inspiration for today’s doodle, “Strolling among the Shops.”
Life is also a stroll once set in motion will not stop until in reaches the end. There is also no slowing down life, no matter how hard we try. Billions of dollars each year are spent trying to regain a youthful look or lifestyle. My question is why? Since we have no control over time why not regal in fact we are aging? We could the wisdom and knowledge we have gained over the years to help those who are younger to try and understand how to live their lives more fully. This is what Solomon did for his son and others in the Book of Proverbs.
Wisdom after all is best used when it is shared. So take your life on a stroll and use your past experiences to write a blog, volunteer in your local community or do what I do and create some art and add a few words to each drawing.
Doodle #129, The Open Doorways
In the course of a year long drawing challenge there are times when your mind and your pen get a little blank. This is one of those times. The challenge was to draw a couple of perfectly aligned doorways in your home. My home is not that perfectly aligned so I used another person’s home. I hope you understand. The piece is entitled simply, “Doorways.” I could also give you some speech on how life is like these doorways. Sometimes it feel perfectly aligned but there are times when one door is closed and you can’t for the life of you understand what is going on ahead.
I am thankful many times some of those doors are closed because I do not want to see what is ahead of me. When I was a child my doorways seemed perfectly aligned. Go to school, come home, do homework, go out and play, eat dinner, go to bed, next day rinse and repeat. As an adult the doorways are seldom aligned and I find myself many times praying I could have but a glimpse to what lies ahead behind closed doorway number 2. Still we must push on another day, another drawing. I leave these words of wisdom from Ecclesiastes 3:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
