This time through reading the Lord of the Rings, I’ve been especially moved by Aragorn’s story. As the rightful king of Gondor, there is never a point where he forces the realization of his role. As the rightful king, the circumstances of his life lead him … Continue readingThe Hands of the King
“The wind blows where it will.” I’ve been increasingly attracted to how wild and unpredictable and free and dynamic Jesus is lately. How mysterious and gritty and creative. His behavior is that big abundant life he talks about. Not that our concepts are bad, but he’s just … Continue readingAbundantly
I’m so moved by how Jesus interacts with each person so differently. Even how he heals is unique every time. He’s stepping into the life and heart of each person in the way that they are most hungry for love. Jesus doesn’t always touch people … Continue readingTouched
This past weekend, I went on an art retreat. I went two years ago when they last had it, and it was a turning point for me. I felt so honored in my creativity, felt it and me as a creative person being given a … Continue readingArizona in Grandma’s Eyes
This painting is inspired by Seamus Heaney’s poem “Digging” and one of Van Gogh’s sketches of a potato digger. I love both for the same reason. They emphasize beauty in the grit of life. Malcolm Guite makes the comment that true poetry either starts in … Continue readingI’ll Dig with This Brush
This Lent and Easter season I’ve been particularly struck by how Jesus’ friends abandoning him at the moment of his most profound agony is such a concrete symbol of how personal our sin is. And how personal Jesus’ forgiveness is. I’m struck by how, at … Continue readingMy Own Peace I Give You
As a faithful Jew, Jesus would have prayed the psalms every day. He would have prayed all the psalms, and he surely would have prayed them more deeply than any other person who’s ever lived. I love the psalms as an intimate glimpse into his … Continue readingMy Heart is Stirred
Upon the hearth the fire is red,Beneath the roof there is a bed;But not yet weary are our feet,Still round the corner we may meetA sudden tree or standing stoneThat none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let … Continue readingThe World Ahead
Lately I’ve been painting to the theme of beauty in the dark. The reason is that I’ve been captivated by how God moves in darkness. Not the sort of darkness we usually feel the minute the word is spoken—there’s an evil and sinister darkness we … Continue readingTogether in a Starry Night