Tree

#472 Yellow Flower by Tree

| Whitt’s End Art

Yellow flower By the Tree is an acrylic painting rendered on a flat panel canvas. The background is done by dragging the paint across the canvas and then rendering the flower. Today I am reminded of an old saying, “All good things come to those who wait.” In other words God calls us to be patient. The problem is we don’t want to wait we want things in the here and now not in the days, weeks, months or years to come. It is hard to be patient but we must learn to have faith that God will in His time and move on.

1001 Drawings #355, Putting the Topper on the Tree

| Whitt’s End Art

Christmas trees are usually topped with such things as angels or stars but did you know the origin of the topper. Well, over the years Christians adopted the practice of adding an angel to the top of the tree to symbolize the the significance of the angels who sang at the birth of Jesus. Others added the star in remembrance of the star which shown in the sky that night. While the Christmas tree started as a pagan tradition it has been adopted by many Christians as a way to celebrate the birth of their Savior. Today there are many things placed on the top of the Christmas tree but the holiday which does not happen on the true day of the birth of Jesus is a way of remembering the event.

1001 Drawings #345, Decking the Halls

| Whitt’s End Art

One of my favorite things about this time of the year are the decorations both inside and outside. I love a finely decorated tree with lots of multi colored lights. I also love the smell of the tree and the other assorted decoration. On the outside of the house the more lights the better. My wife and I love to drive around and check out the decorated houses in our area. There was even one local house which appeared on a Holiday Light Fight show.

The Bible warns us in a number of places about being careful about being overly concerned about our outer beauty like, 1 Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” Life is not about trying to impress others but with a quiet spirit seek to minister to others.

1001 Drawings #336, Homage To The Christmas Tree

| Whitt’s End Art

Ever since I can remember my home has been decorated with lights and has had a Christmas tree. The origin of the Christmas tree as it now stands is tied in part to some Non-Christian traditions and has gone through many incarnations over the years. If you would like to read more about those traditions in order to make up your own mind about the Christmas tree check out this article on History.com. While the Christmas tree may be to some not a true representation of the spirit of this season and the birth of Jesus it is still a part of many a Christian’s home.