Artistic Theology

            Life is full of detours. As a child, I thrived on what I knew to be dependable, and resisted any change in plans.  I still remember my mother's exasperated "You're so inflexible!" at my barrage of complaints after a plan fell through.  Humans are hardwired to resist change, and we begin the difficult process of learning that change is a part of life as young children. Most of the  changes we encounter are slight, and require simple attitude adjustments to overcome them.  However, there are times when changes are earth-shattering and grief-inducing; causing pain, loss and a great deal of mental gymnastics just to comprehend our resulting new reality.         Yet, there is one who never changes. In Hebrews 13:8, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."  God himself tells us in Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I change not..."   God's character a...

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your  heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" {1} (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)         Often in life, I have wondered, and at times worried, about what the future may bring. While I look forward to good things and anticipate making wonderful memories with family and friends, I can also be tempted to feel anxious about future difficulties, losses and struggles. Sometimes, I think this comes from having "the bottom dropping out" experiences in life, past losses and trauma. Sometimes I think this is universal, just based on the state of our world, with sad and shocking evils reported daily. In any case, I find comfort in focusing on God - remembering that he sees me, loves me and cares for me.  This does not mean we will never suffer or have hardships - we live in a fallen world.            When Jesus was on earth, he spoke of ...

         Did you know that young sunflowers face the sun in the east each morning, and follow it around the sky to the west throughout the day?  Each night, they turn back to face the east, and the process starts all over as the first rays of light illuminate their golden, amber and rust colored petals. This time of year, as summer turns to autumn and the nights grow cool, the mature flowers stay facing the east, allowing them to warm faster and attract bees.       The sunflowers' rotation of 180 degrees to continually face the sun is due to the unique genetic traits that God designed within them.  The sunlight causes them to grow tall and mature into their full beauty.  This reminds me of how, as Christ followers, Christians should keep their eyes on Jesus.  In Hebrews 12:1, life is described as a race that is set before us, and how we are easily distracted and veer off course by the cares of this world and our sin.  At t...

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22                                                                  I constantly marvel at the beauty of this world that God created.  As a small child of five, I still remember discovering the wonder of Autumn as I ran outside in the crisp air, flinging out my hands to the sky and twirling in a kaleidoscope of colorful fall leaves that tumbled about in the wind.  I grew up observing the natural world outside my back door, often outside for hours playing with pinecones, grasses, the little brook, and other such things.  Today I often wonder, with the younger generations growing up on screens - their eyes and hands often focused on their phones - if they will ever truly un...

        "Defend the poor and the fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.   Deliver the poor and needy:rid them out of the hand of the wicked." Psalms 82:3-4         When I created this piece, UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) estimated that every 26 seconds, a child is trafficked into slavery, many of whom are trafficked into the sex slave trade.  This statistic is still haunting the world today, with millions trafficked each year and over 49 million people in modern slavery today (International labor Organization, 2021).  It is a tragedy beyond comprehension that our present generation is witness to and part of.  Many of us wonder how we can help - how we can possibly make a difference.  One way is to support organizations that rescue these children out sexual slavery and then protect, restore and empower them to live healthy, productive lives.   ...