September 2018 - Through Every Season

Under the Shadow of His Wings

Posted on September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 by Paula

My mind is more cluttered than usual right now, and I’m tired. I had tried to write my Monday morning blog this week, but I had too many thoughts to untangle to be able to focus on one subject. I came home to an empty house last night and had the perfect opportunity to focus and write, but my mind was overloaded and my body was tired.

I rested on my bed and stared at the ceiling; it was dirty but the least messy place to look at. I thought about and prayed for the people I know who are hurting. I thought about my busy life and prayed again for answers on how to find better balance. The only answer impressed upon my heart was that I needed to let it all go and rest. As I prayed, I let myself go back to a place I found years ago. Once again, I found myself under the shadow of His wings.

It was July 4, 2007. I was very upset that night. The tears flowed, and I earnestly prayed for God to show me something beautiful.

The vision I saw was so real I could feel it. I found myself standing with a wall of clear, glittery water to my left and another on my right. It was as if God was parting a sea for me. There was at my feet and seashells scattered around me. He even laid a starfish down in my little haven. Rose-like flowers in hues ranging from carnation pink to red-violet carpeted the ground both ahead of me and behind me. They seemed to clear a path for me as I moved. The sky directly above me was the most perfect bright blue summer sky dotted with fluffy white clouds, but there were also sparkly stars mixed in. Behind me, was a night sky with thousands of twinkling stars. Ahead me, was a beautiful sunset (or maybe a sunrise) with pinks, purples, orange and a tinge of yellow. Coming up over both walls of water, He sheltered me with His soft, white wings.

I could feel an unexplainable peace, the most wonderful peace I have ever known as I stood sheltered under the shadow of His wings. To this day, I can still remember how that peace felt and can feel it even now as I think about it.

God knows me intimately; the picture He gave me in my mind was the most perfect place for me. That moment in prayer was one of the most precious moments in my entire life. It was just God and me as He hid me under the shadow of His wings.

I wanted so badly to draw or paint that picture, but it wasn’t until June of 2009 that I tried. For the first time ever, I attempted to paint with watercolor pencils. I had no clue what I was doing. But, as I sat on a balcony overlooking the ocean at Daytona Beach, listened to my praise & worship music, I found painting with God to be very therapeutic.

I remember talking with God about the conch shell. I had no idea how to paint one and didn’t have one to look at. So, I asked God to take my hand & help me paint it. I was pleased with the way it turned out and also pleased with the sky. I had no idea how to paint, night, day and dusk or dawn all in the same picture, but it turned out great! My only disappointment was that His wings did not turn out white like I had pictured them; I just didn’t know how to use those pencils.

My first attempt at painting where I stood "Under the Shadow of His Wings." — My first attempt at painting where I stood “Under the Shadow of His Wings” (Watercolor Pencils on Paper)

Over a year later, on November 22, 2010. I decided to paint “Under the Shadow of His Wings” on canvas with acrylics. I need to sort some things out with God. So, I sat in my little sanctuary on my sunporch and prayed, asking Him to cleanse me and purify me and help me surrender all to Him and live a life that glorifies Him.

As I prayed, I was led to first paint words that named all the things that were troubling me. I didn’t realize how much was on my heart until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to it all. I filled the entire canvas. I recorded all of those troubles in my journal while the paint was drying. I wanted to go back later to see all the things that God took care of.

Next, it was time to bury all of those problems under the shadow of His wings. Worship music played in the background as again, I asked God to take my hand and help me paint the beautiful picture He had given me. I found my time with God to be a time of healing as I painted the beautiful picture over my troubles I had listed.

Before I even finished the painting, God started working on some of the areas that I had written down, and today as I read over those 34 struggles I recorded, I am wowed. After giving those things to God, He has been working on every single one of them. In fact, He has totally taken care of most of those problems. For the few areas of trouble that linger, He continues to walk beside me and teach me how to persevere. He is an amazing God!

On July 8, 2013 I was walking and praying along the ocean shore again. I was going through a very difficult season of life with new challenges and struggles. It was a beautiful day, and I had never seen the water so clear. It was so clear that in the distance that from the shore, I could see a sand dollar 2 ½- 3 feet down below the surface.

The waves were huge, and as I was marveling about how tall they were, I noticed I could see inside the waves. The way the late afternoon sun shined through the waves was absolutely beautiful! I stood there mesmerized for the longest time.

Then it hit me; the glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier. It was like I had stepped back and could see myself again in that beautiful place. The waves in front of me were not as tall as me, whereas in the picture they tower way above me. But the beautiful, transparent color was so familiar, so peaceful like the place He gave me “Under the Shadow of His Wings.”

The glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier as I stood under the shadow of His wings.

I woke up this morning, and my thoughts are still cluttered. There are still problems to be solved. However, I am at peace after resting in His presence.

I am thankful for a loving God who has all the answers and knows exactly when and how to take care of everything that clutters my mind. I am grateful for His patience, His mercy and His grace. I am overwhelmed by the peace that He gives me when He hides me under the shadow of His wings.

Everybody Loves a Good Story

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Paula

Everybody loves a good story, and I have heard many over my lifetime. My mom started reading to me before I could even talk. She started me out on the Little Golden Books and Dr. Seuss. Later she read me chapter books such as “The Little House on the Prairie” series. I loved snuggling next to her and listening as she brought each story to life.

Her mom told me stories as well, although she rarely read to me from books. Instead, Grandma made up fictitious stories which always included my sister and me. We thought that was great!

When I was old enough to sit still, Mom and Dad sent me to Sunday school. I loved the way my teachers shared stories by sticking shepherds and fluffy sheep on flannelgraph boards.

My teachers also read stories to give us a break from our hard work in grade school. Our minds would take us on big adventures while we listened over milk and cookies.

When I got a little older, I was invited to slumber parties where friends told ghost stories that caused us to “sleep” with the lights on. I preferred the “Dumb Ronda” stories my friend’s older sister, Ronda, would tell us when she came home from her dates. She was funny.

Yes. I’ve heard so many good stories over the years told in many different ways, but the greatest story I’ve ever heard is God’s story. The story began thousands of years ago, but it never gets old. In fact, the story grows more fascinating and more meaningful each time I read it. It’s a true, action-packed love story about God’s pursuit for lost and hurting people.

The story begins with God simply speaking all of creation into existence with His words, “Let there be….” He created a man and a woman and placed them in a beautiful garden where they had everything they could ever desire. He even walked with them and talked with them! But then, they disobeyed the one rule He gave them, and their eyes were opened to their nakedness and sin. God punished them by banishing them from the garden. Yet He extended his grace by covering their nakedness with animal skins.

After that, the battle with sin raged on. The trouble with sin is that it separates us from God, our Creator who is holy and perfect.

Over and over in God’s story, His people would turn away from Him to worship idols and to indulge in self-gratification. They’d forget their need for God and try doing things their own way. Eventually, they would become miserable and cry out for God to save them. They’d vow to obey Him, and things would go well when they did, but then they’d go astray again.

The cycle of obedience with blessing and disobedience with punishment kept repeating. No one could fully obey God’s rules. So, God promised salvation through a Messiah. He vowed to give His people a new heart and to put His Spirit inside them so that they could follow His ways.

More than 700 years after that prophecy, a young virgin named Mary gave birth to Jesus, the promised Messiah. The Bible records story after story about Jesus’ wisdom, compassion and love. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He fed 5000 people by blessing and dividing just five loaves of bread and two fish. He ate with the sinners and offered living water to those who were thirsty. “Follow me,” He said over and over again.

While Jesus lived here on earth, He was tempted with sin just as we are, but He never gave in to those temptations. He kept all the rules that we could never keep. And then, because we are sinners and because the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God and because God loves us, Jesus took our punishment for us.

Jesus was wrongly accused, ridiculed, mocked, spat upon, beaten and finally put to death on a cross. He deserved none of it, but, “God wants no one to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God’s story doesn’t end with Jesus’ death on the cross. After three days, Jesus came back to life. He conquered sin, He conquered death, He made a way for us to have eternal life in heaven.

After His resurrection, Jesus instructed His followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). Then He returned to heaven to be with God the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit to live in those who believe.

The followers did as Jesus commanded, and thousands more believed and followed. They risked their lives when the religious leaders who didn’t believe tried to stop them. Some died because they refused to stop following and refused to stop sharing the truth.

The last story in the Bible is a vision about the future when Jesus will return and put an end to evil. Those who have believed and followed Him will find eternal life in heaven where there will be no more tears, pain or suffering. Those who have not chosen to believe and follow will suffer eternal torment and separation from God.

The Bible is a true story about God’s love for us, but the story doesn’t stop there. God continues to write his amazing love story today through you, me and all of the believers.

When Jesus touches us in a deep and personal way, we just can’t keep from sharing it with others. We want everyone to know how awesome He is and to find the salvation, comfort, healing, joy and peace that we have in Him. We understand the urgency of telling others about His story because we know that He could return at any moment.

Everybody loves a good story, and God’s story is the greatest of all. Don’t be afraid to share it. It’s the most important story you can tell.

The Why Behind the Routine

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Paula

I had a beautiful image in my mind, but when I observed my artwork, it didn’t meet my expectations. The lines were too sloppy. — Remembering “the why behind the routine” is important, especially when things don’t go as planned.

I recently had a day that I counted as a waste until I remembered “the why behind the routine.” Remembering “the why” is important, especially when things don’t go as planned.

I had a really busy weekend ahead, but I didn’t want to give up my Friday morning routine of doodling on my porch. Besides, my new watercolor pencils had arrived, and I was anxious to try them out.

I planned to redo a design that I had done with regular colored pencils several months ago. I was sure the colors would be much more vibrant using the watercolors and expected that the finished work would be a perfect addition to my Etsy shop. However, after three different tries, all I ended up with was a disappointing mess.

My watercolor idea ended up a total mess.

I pulled out my markers and moved on to a different verse that I wanted to redo. I had a beautiful image in my mind, but when I observed my artwork, it didn’t meet my expectations. The lines were too sloppy.

I tried again… and again… and again…. I felt at peace as I listened to worship music and let my mind focus on God, but still, none of my creations were good enough. There was always something wrong no matter what I tried. I just wasn’t satisfied.

The next morning, as I got ready to face another busy day, I thought about all of my doodle attempts the day before. I was frustrated that none of those attempts were good enough to reproduce for my Etsy shop. Why had I wasted several hours of my time when I had so many other things I needed to do?

My mind went back to the doodle I had created almost effortlessly the week before. Fear had gotten ahold of me. So, I searched God’s word for help. That’s when the words of Isaiah 41:10 spoke peace into my heart. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” I meditated on the words, pictured what they meant to me and doodled them out as I worshiped, sang and cried in His presence. I loved the way the doodle turned out. Even more important, I was ready to face my fear; God was with me.

That’s when I realized the difference. I remembered “the why behind the routine.” My Etsy shop isn’t my why!

I began doodling out Bible verses long before my Etsy shop. I was in the habit of writing Bible verses down on index cards when I came across one that I wanted to remember. Sometimes a verse would become so real to me that I could visualize it. So, I would grab some markers and doodle it out.

I posted my doodles on Facebook thinking maybe they would catch someone’s eye, and God’s word would speak to that person’s heart as well. Sometimes my doodle was pretty goofy, but I posted it anyway.

One of my goofy doodles of the past. All that mattered then was getting the Word out.

I had fun doodling these verses, and I also found it to be a great way to unclutter my head and untangle my heart, particularly if I had experienced a tough week. Meditating on His word always brought (and continues to bring) me healing and peace.

Eventually, I began setting aside Friday mornings to doodle and sort things out with God. I always look forward to this time of sitting at His feet and shutting everything else out for just a little while.

I would never have done anything more with my doodles, but my son suggested that I should turn some of them into greeting cards and sell them on Etsy. A couple of months later, a friend asked me if I would frame some to sell in her boutique. Thus “Every Season Creations” was born.

After that, I found myself getting pickier about my doodles. The lettering needed to be centered. The design had to be neat and arranged just so.

It was this pickiness, that kept me from being satisfied on that particular Friday. Though my time spent with God was still sweet, I got really frustrated because I was unable to create something to add to my shop. I lost sight of the “why behind the routine.”

I set aside my Friday mornings for doodling simply because I want to spend time with God and point others to Him. I need His word to transform my life, and I want others to know the power of His word in their lives as well. That is “the why behind the routine,” and “the why behind the routine” is all for Him.

Conquering My Fears

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Paula

Although the ocean is my favorite place, I never venture out very far into the water and I definitely don’t swim in it. So, when my husband, Sam, planned a snorkeling excursion for our family this summer, I was not even close to being as enthusiastic as everyone else.

First of all, I do not go out in public without my makeup. Second, I am not a good swimmer. Third, I know the sharks are out there. I would be facing a lot of fears.

Sure, I know that God is with me wherever I go. Yes, I believe that if I die, God will take me to heaven. However, drowning or getting killed by a shark is not the way that I want to get there.

I didn’t like the looks of the catamaran that we boarded. I listened intently to the crewman who explained snorkeling to us while we sailed out seven miles from shore (much too far out for my comfort level). The boat violently rocked back and forth over huge waves, and I battled to keep my balance as I moved to a spot where I could better see the crewman demonstrate exactly how the gear was to be used.

As the crewman gave instructions, I realized that this would be even worse than I had imagined. I had pictured walking around in calm, waist deep water and sticking my face in the water if I wanted to see anything. Instead, I was horrified to learn that the ship would anchor in water far too deep to touch bottom.

The crewman further explained that the water was unusually rough that day, and we WOULD get water into our snorkels due to high waves. I feared we would choke.

Then, there was the life jacket problem. There were not enough regular life jackets; some people would have to use inflatable vests. I did not feel safe when I was given the inflatable vest. I blew it up as full as I could, but I was scared that I would bump the tube and deflate it.

Furthermore, the snorkels we used were just sitting in a trough of “sanitizer” which really looked, smelled and tasted like regular water. This was another horror for a person who can’t even share her straw with her husband.

When the boat was anchored, we were given a choice of jumping off the side or walking down stairs that were dropped into the water. It took me a long time to get the courage to start down the stairs.

The rough water made going up or down the stairs difficult.

My anxiety heightened with my first step into the water. Even though Sam promised to stay by my side, I began to panic as we swam away from the boat. Flashbacks from the movie “Titanic” raced through my mind. “Jack!”

The waves were high above my head at times, and I couldn’t see the ocean floor. We were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! What in the world were we thinking?!

My panic progressed to hysterical crying. Sam asked if I wanted to go back to the boat, but I had to conquer my fear.

Everyone seemed to be doing better than I

My kids tried to calm me. They kept telling me to look down but I was so scared that I couldn’t.

“Mom, there’s a huge conch shell. Look at it!” I finally got brave enough to put my face down for just a couple of seconds.

The picture isn't that clear, but the conch shell looked as huge as a dinner plate. — The picture isn’t that clear, but the conch shell looked as huge as a dinner plate.

The waves continued, and fear had not loosed its tight grip. My daughter, Jessica, kept telling me to look down again. “Mom. You have to look down! There’s a beautiful rainbow fish!”

I had to see it. I mustered up the courage to go facedown again. As I watched it swimming right below me, it turned from its upright position and started swimming sideways to display its beautiful colors. It seemed like it was maneuvering itself to show off just for me.

I'm glad I could see the vibrant pink, purple, blue and yellow rainbow fish. The photo doesn't do it justice, but my memory does. — I’m glad I could see the vibrant pink, purple, blue and yellow rainbow fish. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but my memory does.

I also saw a school of electric blue fish and a school of black fish, but just when I started getting brave, we were called back to the boat. We later heard talk that a shark had been circling our group.

The strong waves made it nearly impossible to climb back up the rocking steps, but I made it back safely with some help. I felt victorious! I had conquered my fears and had seen some marvelous things that I never would have seen had I not been brave enough to get off the boat.

God had blessed me and taken care of my fears. My family and I excitedly discussed our exhilarating experience and admired God’s beautiful sunset over the ocean as we traveled the seven miles back to the shore.

As I think back on that day, I also think about the time that Jesus sent the disciples on a boat ahead of him while he went to pray alone. Later that night, Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars and fighting the wind.

Jesus started walking across the water to them, and when they saw Him, they were terrified.

Jesus said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

So, Peter got out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he began to sink. He called out to Jesus to save him, and immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

Sure, the disciples were scared as the wind and waves raged. They were scared when they saw Jesus on the water. Even Peter who was brave enough to walk on the water started sinking because he got frightened by the wind.

However, if Peter hadn’t mustered up the courage to step out of the boat, he would have never walked on the water with Jesus. He wouldn’t have experienced Jesus reaching out His hand to save him. He would have missed out on a blessing.

We all have fears, whether it is a spider, snake, storm, heights, small spaces, failure, darkness, loneliness, sickness, disease, death…. Whatever fears we must face this week, we must remember that Jesus is with us. We mustn’t let our fears hold us back from experiencing God’s blessings. We are overcomers through Jesus. Whatever our fears, may we say the same as David, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, Lord” (Psalm 56:3).

Marveling in our exhilarating experience

Sam and me watching God's beautiful sunset over the ocean — Sam and me watching God’s beautiful sunset over the ocean

The peaceful sunset after the battle in the water

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